Indian women gathers in traditional attire outside UK Parliament to extend support to PM Modi's success in LS polls The Indian women in the UK gathered in traditional attire in front of the UK Parliament on Saturday, showcasing cultural pride and extending political support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the general elections. These women from diverse diasporas, representing regions including, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, and Odisha, were participating in the ongoing grand celebration of democracy in India in their own unique ways. The slogans Ab ki baar 400 paar and Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi echoed through Parliament Square as the passionate Indian women proudly waved BJP flags. The enthusiastic display of support by these women reflected their pride in India's progressive journey and their desire for it to continue under the leadership of PM Modi and his party. The Overseas Friends of BJP UK (OFBJPUK) issued a statement on Sunday, emphasising that PM Modi has elevated India's profile on the global stage, instilling a profound sense of pride in the Indian identity. This pride was also evident in the passionate speeches delivered by the participating women in their regional languages, urging their fellow Indians back home to support the BJP in the 2024 elections. These women believe that their voices can make a significant difference in shaping India's future. One of the highlights of the event was a heartfelt poem recital, Saudhand Mujhe Iss Mitti Ki, by a woman from Prime Minister Modi's constituency, Varanasi. Moreover, a Tamil woman spoke about PM Modi's historic visit to Jaffna--the first by an Indian Prime Minister--and discussed the current government's Neighbourhood First policy, which has played a pivotal role in helping Sri Lanka overcome economic turmoil, the statement read. The women further emphasised PM Modi's vision of a developed India by 2047, highlighting that women's empowerment is a crucial pillar of this vision. (ANI)
London, May 19 : The Indian women in the UK gathered in traditional attire in front of the UK Parliament on Saturday, showcasing cultural pride and extending political support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the general elections. These women from diverse diasporas, representing regions including, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, and Odisha, were participating in the ongoing grand celebration of democracy in India in their own [] The post Indian women gathers in traditional attire outside UK Parliament to extend support to PM Modis success in LS polls appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Phase five LS polls: EC asks city dwellers to turnout in higher numbers
Phase five LS polls: EC asks city dwellers to turnout in higher numbers On the eve of phase five of Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission on Sunday pointed out that Mumbai, Thane and Lucknow have shown apathy towards voting in the past and asked these city dwellers to turnout in higher numbers. The poll authority noted that in the past these cities have ''suffered'' from urban apathy in voting. ''The Commission specially calls upon these city dwellers to erase the stigma by turning out in higher numbers,'' it said. On May 3 too, while referring to voter turnout in phase two, the Commission had said it was ''disappointed'' with the turnout level in some metropolitan cities. The EC had last month assembled many metro Commissioners here to work out a strategy to fight urban apathy. Urban and youth apathy is described as a phenomenon when young voters and those living in metros fail to turn up at polling stations on election day. So far, the last four phases have registered a voter turnout of 66.95 per cent. Around 45.1 crore electors have exercised their franchise in the last four phases. As in February this year, the total number of voters stood at around 97 crore. Polling for 23 states and union territories, and 379 seats has been completed so far. The EC said 49 seats in eight states and union territories, including Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal will go for polls in phase five on Monday. Besides Lok Sabha, 35 assembly constituencies in Odisha will also go to polls on Monday. Around 9.47 lakh polling officials have been deployed across 94,732 polling stations. Over 8.95 crore people, include 4.69 crore male; 4.26 crore female and 5409 third gender electors are eligible to vote.
Lucknow Universitys political nursery in full bloom in 2024 LS polls
Lucknow: The yield from Lucknow Universitys (LU), political nursery is in full bloom in the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had first referred to the student union in the LU as a political nursery and his words have proved prophetic. Today, the maximum number of leaders Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
LS polls: Maneka Gandhi eyes bigger victory margin in Sultanpur
LS polls: Maneka Gandhi eyes bigger victory margin in Sultanpur Seeking a second term from Sultanpur, BJP leader Maneka Gandhi on Sunday said her focus is on local issues and asserted that her victory margin will be bigger this time. However, the former Union minister refused to comment on the BJP denying poll ticket to her son Varun Gandhi from Pilibhit Varun, she said, will soon campaign for her in Sultanpur. In an interview to PTI, the eight-time MP said she is only concerned about the problems of her constituency and does not wish to comment on the BJP's call to wipe out the Congress from Rae Bareli. ''I have no comments to make...I am concerned about problems of my own constituency and people here'', she told PTI when asked about the BJP's promise to wipe out the Gandhi family from Rae Bareli. Amethi and Rae Bareli are in close proximity to the district. While Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli this time, Gandhi family loyalist K L Sharma is pitted against Smriti Irani in Amethi. Maneka Gandhi, who had won from Sultanpur in 2019 by a margin of 14,000 votes, said, ''This time my victory margin will be bigger''. She also said that people of her constituency are happy over coming up of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya but ''it is not an issue in the polls here.'' The BJP leader is pitted against SP's Ram Bhual Nishad, while the BSP has fielded Udraj Verma, an OBC. Asked if she is expecting a ministerial berth if the BJP forms the government again, she said, ''It is not in my hands. It is the prerogative of the PM.'' The BJP is confident of gaining from around two lakh voters of Nishad (fishermen community) with its leader Sanjay Nishad a minister in Uttar Pradesh. Sultanpur will go to polls in the sixth phase on May 25.
Heat wave conditions prevail in 20 places, mercury crosses 45
New Delhi: Extreme heat continues to wreak havoc in North-West India. Even though the highest temperature of 47.4 degrees Celsius was recorded in Delhi's Najafgarh on Friday, but on coming out on Saturday morning, it felt as if the entire body was burning. The Meteorological Department has issued a warning regarding the days full of extreme heat and heat wave and said that there is no hope of relief for another 5 days. Especially, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are facing severe heat wave. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday has also predicted severe heat in the plains of northwest India for the next five days. This situation is going to persist for three days in the eastern and central areas. Red alert has also been issued regarding heat wave in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and West Rajasthan. Orange alert has been issued for East Rajasthan, UP and Bihar. Besides, advice has also been given to keep a special eye on newborn children, elderly people and patients with chronic diseases. A warning of extreme heat at night for two-three days has also been issued in UP, Bihar and West Rajasthan. Mercury crossed 45 at 20 places: Delhi experienced severe heat for the second day and the average maximum temperature was recorded at 43.7 degrees Celsius, which is the highest temperature of the season. IMD has informed that along with Delhi, Haryana, Punjab,. At least 20 places in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh recorded temperatures above 45 degrees. In Rajasthan, the mercury has crossed 46 degrees in Jaisalmer, Barmer, Ganganagar and Pilani. Such a magical forest of India, which glows at night! These are the 3 most expensive bikes sold in India, the price is so much that you will buy Audi-BMW Lemon Rice: Learn to make South Indian dish 'Lemon Rice' in easy steps
Weather Update: IMD Issues Heatwave Red Alert Across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) hasissued a 'red alert' for Sunday, May 19for Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, and West Rajasthan. While an 'orange' alert is effective for Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan.
Fifth phase: Raebareli, Amethi among 14 UP seats going to polls on Monday
Lucknow: Voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, which will decide the fate of four Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, will be held on Monday.Voting will also take place for the assembly bypoll to Lucknow East assembly constituency. The seats going to polls in the fifth phase are Mohanlalganj (SC), Rae Bareli, Amethi, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Kaisarganj and Gonda. Besides Defence Minister Singh (Lucknow), Minister of Women and Child Development Irani (Amethi), those in the fray are Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishor (Mohanlalganj) and Minister of State of Consumer Affairs Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Fatehpur). Rahul Gandhi is in the fray from Rae Bareli, which was represented by his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi earlier. Over 2.68 crore voters are eligible to exercise their polling rights and 144 candidates are in the fray. The BJP gave tickets to 11 of its sitting Lok Sabha MPs in this phase, while it had fielded new candidates in Barabanki (SC) seat and Kaisarganj. In the INDIA bloc, the Congress has fielded K L Sharma from Amethi, Tanuj Punia from Barabanki (SC) and Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' from Jhansi. The Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates are in the poll fray on the rest of the seats. Defence minister Singh is eyeing a fourth term from Lucknow. He is pitted against sitting SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra from Lucknow Central. From the neighbouring constituency of Amethi, Irani is in the poll fray. In Kaisarganj Lok Sabha seat, the contest is between BJP's Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former MP and ex-president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and SP's Bhagat Ram. Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which covers the temple town of Ayodhya, will see a contest between sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh, who is seeking a hat-trick, and Awadhesh Prasad, the SP MLA from Milkipur (SC) assembly constituency in Ayodhya district. In Hamirpur, the poll contest is between BJP's Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel, eyeing a third term, and SP's Ajendra Singh Lodhi. In Gonda, BJP's Kirti Vardhan Singh, who is eyeing a fifth term, is facing a contest from SP's Shreya Verma. The main electoral contest in Banda is between RK Singh Patel, who is seeking a third term, and Krishna Devi Shivshankar Patel of the SP. Vinod Kumar Sonkar, who is eyeing a hat-trick of Lok Sabha wins, will be facing SP's Pushpendra Saroj, son of SP leader Indrajeet Saroj, for Kaushambi (SC) constituency. Voting will also take place for the assembly bypoll to Lucknow East assembly constituency. Bypoll in the Lucknow East assembly constituency was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Ashutosh Tandon on November 9, 2023.
Uttar Pradesh: Five Reasons Why Kaushambi Is Challenging For The BJP
None from my party contesting Lok Sabha polls: Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) chief Raja Bhaiya
None from my party contesting Lok Sabha polls: Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) chief Raja Bhaiya Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) chief Raghuraj Pratap Singh aka Raja Bhaiya said his party has fielded no candidate for the Lok Sabha elections and neither has it entered into an alliance with any party. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, Raja Bhaiya's views or opinions are no secret. At a meeting of my party workers, I told them as well as my well-wishers that none from my party was contesting the Lok Sabha elections and neither have we allied with any party. Our workers and supporters are at liberty to vote for any party or candidate of their choice. Stressing the significance of being on good terms with parties across the political aisle, he added, Leaders and workers of the Samajwadi Party visited us. As politicians, we meet leaders across the political aisle. We maintain good ties with everyone, irrespective of which party they belong to. However, leaders of two parties cannot share the same stage if there's no alliance. Coming out in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his leadership, he said the former took 'historic' decisions in the interest of taking the country forward. On whether he feels being challenged politically by Union Minister and Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel, Raja Bhaiya countered, I am not aware of any challenge from anyone. For me, the happiness that I see on the faces of my party workers and supporters matters the most. Polling for the Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh is being held across all seven phases. Voting in the first four phases has already been completed while the remaining phases are scheduled for May 20, May 25, and June 1. The counting of votes for all phases has been scheduled for June 4. In the 2019 polls, the BJP mopped up the bulk of the electoral spoils in the state, winning 62 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats, while ally Apna Dal (S) won two more seats. Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats while her then-alliance partner, Akhilesh Yadav's SP, had to settle for just 5 seats. The Congress won just a lone seat in the state. In the 2014 elections, the BJP swept UP, winning 71 seats while the Congress could only bag 2. (ANI)
Welfare or Casteism ? Tough call for Kaushambi voters
Incumbent Vinod Sonkar of BJP and debutant Pushpendra Saroj of SP face a complex battle in the Kaushambi Lok Sabha seat, influenced by key figures, alliances, and local issues.
Fake certificate racket busted, three arrested in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: The Maheshwaram Special Operations Team (SOT), along with Chaitanyapuri police, busted a fake certificate racket and arrested three persons on Saturday. The prime accused, Mohammad Abrar Hussain, 45, a consultant by profession, allegedly masterminded the fraud to make easy money. According to the police, Hussain, in collusion with Ram Singh of Uttar Pradesh, started supplying fake certificates to students aspiring to go abroad. He sold fake certificates of various universities for prices ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 each. During the operation, the police seized counterfeit certificates in the name of Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Bihar, and Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi. The other two arrested persons are Syed Isnain Mohammed (28), a cashier in a cafe, and Ram Singh, who provided contacts of clients and helped in selling fake certificates. Four of the customers of Mohammad Abrar Hussain were identified as Sachi Patel from Gujarat, Rahul Sood from Delhi, and Ashwaq and Haifa from Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad.
Phase five LS polls: Rae Bareli, Amethi among 14 UP seats going to polls on Monday
Phase five LS polls: Rae Bareli, Amethi among 14 UP seats going to polls on Monday Voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, which will decide the fate of four Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, will be held on Monday. Voting will also take place for the assembly bypoll to Lucknow East assembly constituency. The seats going to polls in the fifth phase are Mohanlalganj (SC), Rae Bareli, Amethi, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Kaisarganj and Gonda. Besides Defence Minister Singh (Lucknow), Minister of Women and Child Development Irani (Amethi), those in the fray are Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishor (Mohanlalganj) and Minister of State of Consumer Affairs Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Fatehpur). Rahul Gandhi is in the fray from Rae Bareli, which was represented by his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi earlier. Over 2.68 crore voters are eligible to exercise their polling rights and 144 candidates are in the fray. The BJP gave tickets to 11 of its sitting Lok Sabha MPs in this phase, while it had fielded new candidates in Barabanki (SC) seat and Kaisarganj. In the INDIA bloc, the Congress has fielded K L Sharma from Amethi, Tanuj Punia from Barabanki (SC) and Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' from Jhansi. The Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates are in the poll fray on the rest of the seats. Defence minister Singh is eyeing a fourth term from Lucknow. He is pitted against sitting SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra from Lucknow Central. From the neighbouring constituency of Amethi, Irani is in the poll fray. In Kaisarganj Lok Sabha seat, the contest is between BJP's Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former MP and ex-president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and SP's Bhagat Ram. Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which covers the temple town of Ayodhya, will see a contest between sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh, who is seeking a hat-trick, and Awadhesh Prasad, the SP MLA from Milkipur (SC) assembly constituency in Ayodhya district. In Hamirpur, the poll contest is between BJP's Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel, eyeing a third term, and SP's Ajendra Singh Lodhi. In Gonda, BJP's Kirti Vardhan Singh, who is eyeing a fifth term, is facing a contest from SP's Shreya Verma. The main electoral contest in Banda is between RK Singh Patel, who is seeking a third term, and Krishna Devi Shivshankar Patel of the SP. Vinod Kumar Sonkar, who is eyeing a hat-trick of Lok Sabha wins, will be facing SP's Pushpendra Saroj, son of SP leader Indrajeet Saroj, for Kaushambi (SC) constituency. Voting will also take place for the assembly bypoll to Lucknow East assembly constituency. Bypoll in the Lucknow East assembly constituency was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Ashutosh Tandon on November 9, 2023.
Jaw broken, girls harassed: Indian students in Bishkek live in fear
HYDERABAD: Locked inside his university hostel at Kyrgyzstans capital Bishkek, where the gates were shut and the lights were turned off by the administration so they could stay safe, a Telangana-based medical student, Fayzan, told TNIE on Saturday that although the violence was temporarily curbed, a mob had openly sent out a warning to the Indians and Pakistanis that there would be another attack in the night. India advises its students in Bishkek to stay indoors after mob violence On the night of May 17, an angry mob of locals entered two universities in the capital city, broke the windows of the hostels and targeted foreign nationals, especially Indian and Pakistani nationals. They attacked foreign students and misbehaved with girls. An acquaintance suffered a broken jaw and a few others sustained minor injuries, said Fayzan. Following the mob violence, the Indian embassy released a statement that the situation is presently calm and advised all students to stay indoors and contact the Mission in case of any problems. However, many Indian students that TNIE had contacted expressed fear as locals were circulating hate messages on TikTok and other social media platforms. The driver of a taxi I had previously travelled in sent me a video of the mob violence and threatened to beat me as well, said a student from Uttar Pradesh. While students living in university hostels shared that there were local police and Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) deployed outside the campus, those living in private accommodations do not have the same kind of security. Students living in flats have been asked to not step out of their accommodations. In case of an emergency, they have been advised to carry their visas and passports, said a student from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, who did not want to be named. However, that does not make any difference. The mob does not look into the passports before attacking, his friend added. The violence, which started following an alleged altercation between the locals and Egyptians on May 13, has led to a series of incidents where foreign nationals have been targeted. While university officials are ensuring that the students in campus are safe, those living outside the campus are demanding police security and provision of essentials, said Dr Apurva, the national convenor of the All Indian Medical Students Association Foreign Medical Students Wing (AIMSA-FMSW). Another member of the AIMSA-FMSW, Dr Vasundhara said, We are concerned as we have been unable to reach out to a few of the Indian students. We are trying to keep in touch with as many students as possible and check in on their safety. Amidst the tense situation, the student from Uttar Pradesh told TNIE, A couple of Indian students who stay elsewhere in the country, have left Kyrgyzstan fearing violence. They are not in Bishkek, but are afraid and have taken the road to leave the country. Even as the students are expecting that the situation would most likely be back to normal in a few days, they insist, Only if the Indian government and agencies take a major action or put pressure on the Kyrgyzstan government, will the situation change. Else, we are worried that this might repeat.
Priyanka Gandhi makes pitch to reclaim family turf
NEW DELHI: As the campaign for the phase five of the Lok Sabha elections ended on Saturday evening, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her final pitch for Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma who is locked in a fierce battle against Union minister and BJPs incumbent MP Smriti Irani. With elections two days away, enthusiasm among the Congress workers was palpable as the cavalcade of the Congress general secretary reached Amethi to hold a roadshow along with Sharma. Priyanka has been campaigning extensively for Rae Bareli and Amethi seats ever since Rahul Gandhi and Sharma filed nominations for the seats, respectively. Though it was speculated that the absence of Gandhi in the fray in Amethi may give MP Irani an edge in Amethi, the contest is turning out to be a tough one, says Uma Shankar Misra, a lawyer and a resident of the constituency. There is widespread discontent against the MP. I voted for the BJP in 2019 and now I have realised my mistake. We are confident that Sharma will win by a margin of two lakhs votes this time, says Misra, general secretary of the district bar association. My house was razed by the district administration of Amethi without giving giving adequate time to challenge the demolition order, says Mishra, adding that his appeals to the MP and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister fell on deaf ears. He said that the administration acted in vengeance against the members of the Bar Association as they protested against the establishment of a civil court in the district. Later the Allahabad High Court stayed the demolition process and expressed displeasure over the action of the Amethi administration, he points out. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Irani defeated Gandhi by over 50,000 votes. Though Gandhi has decided to contest from Rae Bareli this time, he asserted that he would treat Amethi and Rae Bareli equally when it comes to development if his party comes to power at the Centre. However, the BJP and Irani call him a runaway soldier. Considered a Gandhi family bastion, Amethi has been represented by four members of the familySanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul. Congress workers say that Sharma, a loyalist of the Gandhi family, has worked very closely with the people of Amethi. Contesting the claims of the Congress, BJP leader Ramanand says that Irani brought development to the constituency, which was long neglected by the Gandhi family . The Gandhi family treated the seat as their family property and took the people for granted. This time, Irani will win by a higher margin, he says. The BJP is also facing anger from many residents over the UP health departments move to suspend the licence of Amethis Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital last year following the death of a 22-year-old woman, says Ram Yadav. Allahabad HC stayed the suspension. However, we believe it was closed for political reasons as the hospital was built by a trust formed by former PM Indira Gandhi, he says. The disquiet among a section of Brahmins and Thakurs may work against the BJP, says a BJP leader, adding that top leaders of the party is making efforts to pacify the community.
Modi stoking clash among states, says CM Stalin
CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of picking up a cheap strategy of stoking confrontation between states through hate speeches and lies as his propaganda of communal hatred has not helped him win votes. In a statement, the DMK president voiced concern over the alleged inaction by the Election Commission of India (ECI), stating that the country watched with shock and anguish as the PM delivered irresponsible speeches without intervention from the ECI. Stalin said the PMs allegations about leaders of southern states including Tamil Nadu (INDIA bloc constituents) speaking in a derogatory manner about the people of Uttar Pradesh are his imaginary tales and bags of lies. The PM had alleged in a recent poll rally in Uttar Pradesh that Samajwadi Party and the Congresss southern allies insulted Uttar Pradesh and Sanatana Dharma but the two parties remained mute spectators. The DMK chief alleged that it was the BJP that supported and encouraged fake news such as false claims by YouTubers like Manish Kashyap about assault of guest workers in Tamil Nadu. Such fake claims were hate propaganda aimed at creating divisions in the society, Stalin said. Modis remarks reveal his anti-poor mindset: Stalin Pointing to Modis silence on the INDIA blocs promise to remove the 50% cap on reservations for OBC, SC, and ST communities, Stalin questioned whether Modi has ever supported this move which could benefit the people of Uttar Pradesh. Instead, the PM is promoting hate propaganda, the CM said. Criticising Modis comments about free bus travel for women affecting the patronage of metro train services, Stalin said the remarks revealed the PMs anti-poor mindset. The number of people using Chennai Metro, which was 3.28 crore in 2019 before the free bus scheme was implemented, has increased to 9.11 crore in 2023, the CM pointed out. Stalin also accused Modi of stalling the Chennai Metro Phase II expansion project by not providing the agreed union government funding for the project. Stalin said he was doubtful if the PM was afraid of womens empowerment since he traced his roots to the regressive, right-wing ideology of the RSS. Stalin said the INDIA bloc was racing towards victory and people were witnessing the Election Commissions silence on the PMs propaganda of lies and hatred with shock and grief. Modi Has anti-poor mindset Stalin said the PMs claim about free bus ride scheme for women affecting patronage of metro train services reveals his anti-poor mindset. The CM also accused the PM of scuttling the metro train work in Chennai by not releasing funds to TN
BJP hardsells Gujarat model to UP migrants
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat BJP has launched a campaign to attract voters from Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of migrant workers living in Surat are calling up their relatives in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, urging them to vote for the BJP. During these conversations, they highlight the Gujarat model of development. As an incentive, participants will have the opportunity to meet state BJP chief CR Patil for lunch or dinner. The innovative campaign strategy is credited to Patil. During the campaign in Gujarat, he informed north Indian workers and supporters that their task was not only to secure victory for the party in Gujarat but also to campaign for the BJP in their native places. Workers who had the time were encouraged to visit their hometowns and campaign locally. Those unable to take leave due to job constraints were asked to stay in areas like Surat, Bharuch, and Ahmedabad and motivate their relatives to vote for BJP through phone calls. North Indian BJP leader and former Surat BJP corporator Yajuvendra Dubey said small centers were set up near companies, factories, markets and tea shops. After their shifts, workers are provided with facilities to call up their close contacts. Additionally, the name, mobile number, and locality information of the people they contact is recorded, said Dubey. The party has asked these worker-supporters to call at least 20 people, with no maximum limit. Those who perform exceptionally well will be allowed to dine with Patil after the election results, said Dubey. Avadesh Mishra runs a pan shop in Surat and is one of the callers reaching out to Purvanchal for BJP support. In many areas, people are unaware of the significant development projects in their own region. Many voters dont know about the development work done by the BJP, said Mishra. We are sharing this information with our acquaintances and relatives, which has changed their perspective, he added. Thousands of people from UP and Bihar earn their living in various cities across Gujarat. The Bhasha Bhashi cell of the Gujarat BJP has decided a task at hand ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections to persuade migrant workers working in the state who hail from various districts in Uttar Pradesh to go and cast their votes for BJP candidates.
Rise in attacks on TTEs raises security concerns in Kerala
KOZHIKODE: Attacks on travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) have become a daily occurrence in Kerala. Last Wednesday, two separate incidents of attacks on TTEs were reported. In Kozhikode, a man from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was arrested for attacking a female TTE on the Mangalore-Chennai Mail train. On the same day, Manoj Varma from Uttar Pradesh and Shammi Raja from Thiruvananthapuram were attacked in Wadakkanchery on the Bengaluru-Kanyakumari Express. These repeated incidents are not only alarming but also raise serious concerns about the security provided to railway employees. According to railway data, there have been four reported attacks on TTEs in 2024. However, considering the frequent clashes between TTEs and passengers in Malabar region, the actual numbers could be much higher. Most of these attacks occur when TTEs question passengers who board reserved compartments with general tickets. Some of these clashes have resulted in serious injuries to TTEs and even fatalities. On April 2, 48-year-old TTE K Vinod was pushed to death from a moving train by a migrant worker. Vinods death caused significant panic among railway employees. Yet the attacks continue. On May 12, another TTE Vikram Kumar Meena, a native of Rajasthan, was attacked when he asked a passenger to produce his ticket. Meena, who suffered a blow to his nose, is currently undergoing treatment for his injuries. The railways is taking rigorous actions to address these altercations. We are trying our best to provide safety for our employees. As part of preventive measures, the railways has strengthened RPF/GRP escorts, implemented preventive checks, and is closely monitoring suspicious persons. We are also conducting extensive patrolling and passenger checks both on station premises and on board. Additionally, we are organising awareness campaigns among passengers, said an official of Southern Railway Palakkad division. Officials also stated that the railways is assisting victims in pursuing legal action against offenders. We are trying to avoid unnecessary altercations between TTEs and passengers. However, if any incidents occur, the railways will assist the victim employees in lodging complaints with the GRP or local police. In 2024 alone, four such cases have been reported in Kerala, all of which have resulted in the arrest of the offenders, the official added. Deboarding unreserved passengers from reserved coaches is the primary cause of these altercations. Increased passenger footfall during the summer vacation has led to overcrowding in general compartments. As a result, passengers try to board reserved coaches with general tickets. A TTEs duty is to restrict the entry of unreserved passengers into reserved coaches. Another issue is that in all these incidents, the accused were intoxicated, the official said. However, passengers associations said the Railways policies are the major reasons for the recurring attacks. The Railways is cutting down the number of general compartments and increasing reserved coaches to boost revenue. However, they are not providing any alternative solutions to reduce the rush in general compartments. Thats why passengers are boarding reserved coaches, leading to clashes with TTEs, said Rasheed Kavvayi, a member of the Zonal Railway Consultative Committee. Measures taken As part of preventive measures, the railways has strengthened RPF/GRP escorts, implemented preventive checks, and is closely monitoring suspicious persons It is also conducting extensive patrolling and passenger checks both on station premises and on board Additionally, awareness campaigns being prganised among passengers
Voter turnout less than my expectations in Central Kashmir: JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah
Voter turnout less than my expectations in Central Kashmir: JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Chief Farooq Abdullah expressed concern over the low voting percentage in Central Kashmir, saying that he expected around 70 per cent polling percentage in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, the JKNC chief said, I expected the percentage to be 70 per cent. I don't know the reason why it was so low. People are so eager to express themselves and send their representatives to the Parliament. Our children are taking drugs. An entire generation is in danger. The percentage is less than my expectations. It should have been 70 per cent, Abdullah further said. Jammu and Kashmir recorded low voter turnouts at 38.49 in the recently concluded fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls. The fourth phase of polling for Lok Sabha polls on May 13 in 96 constituencies saw a voter turnout of 69.16 per cent, the Election Commission said on Friday. It said 69.58 per cent of male voters, 68.73 per cent of female voters, and 34.23 per cent of third-gender individuals exercised their franchise. Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest voter turnout, with a total voter turnout of 80.66 per cent. West Bengal recorded the second-highest voter turnout at 80.22 per cent. Apart from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar also recorded relatively low voter turnouts at 58.22, and 58.21 per cent, respectively. Voting was held in 96 Lok Sabha seats in the fourth phase, out of which 25 were 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. The voting in Baramulla is set for May 20 while the Anantnag-Rajouri seat will vote on May 25. In the electoral battleground of Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for Phase 5 present a compelling tripartite contest. Omar Abdullah, representing the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), faces off against Fayaz Ahmad Mir of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Sajjad Gani Lone from the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference (JKPC), allied with the NDA. Notably, the BJP is not contesting from any of Jammu and Kashmir's three Lok Sabha seats--Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had six candidates in the fray in Jammu and Kashmir but failed to win a single seat in Kashmir. Voting for the Udhampur and Jammu seats concluded on April 19 and 26 respectively while in Srinagar, voting was concluded on May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. (ANI)
Barabanki LS polls: BJP's Rajrani Rawat to take on Congress' Tanuj Punia following Upendra Singh Rawat's exit In Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki, which will go to the polls on Monday (May 20) in the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has fielded Rajrani Rawat for the seat, while Congress has nominated Tanuj Punia as an INDIA bloc candidate. The Barabanki constituency, an SC seat, is witnessing an interesting contest amidst the withdrawal of the BJP's sitting Member of Parliament, Upendra Singh Rawat, from the election race. Rawat's withdrawal came after the circulation of an alleged obscene video. This Lok Sabha seat comprises six Assembly constituencies--Kursi, Ram Nagar, Barabanki, Zaidpur, and Haidargarh. In 2019, Upendra Singh Rawat of BJP secured victory from Jhansi by garnering 535,917 votes (46.4 per cent), while SP's Ram Sagar Rawat garnered 425,777 votes (36.9 per cent). Congress' Tanuj Punia stood third with 159,611 votes (13.8 per cent). Meanwhile, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Priyanka Singh Rawat of BJP won the seat with 454,214 votes (42.5 per cent), while Congress' P.L. Punia secured 242,336 votes (22.7 per cent). BSP's Kamla Prasad Rawat came in third with 167,150 votes (15.6 per cent). Notably, 2009 marked the comeback of Congress in Barabanki for the first time since 1984. P.L. Punia secured victory in Barabanki to become the first Congress candidate to win after 1984. Rajrani Rawat, who is the District Panchayat President, will face the election battle for the first time. Meanwhile, the Congress-SP alliance's Tanuj Punia will face elections for the second time. Taking to her official X handle, Rajrani Rawat urged the people to vote for the saffron party. I salute all the respected people. I tried my best to reach out to all of you, I tried my best to knock on every village and house, but still, I could not reach some places... I request and appeal to all of you to once again, plant lotus in Barabanki, she said. She added, I will respect your vote, all-round development of Barabanki is our goal. All of you are requested to give your support and blessings by pressing the button on the lotus symbol on May 20 and make your Rajrani Rawat victorious with huge votes. The BJP candidate in her campaign also targeted the opposition and said, Those who looted the country, those who demanded proof of the valor of the army, those who questioned the existence of Ram, those who set a record of scams, have come together today to form a 'Thugbandhan', you all should be cautious of them. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing public rallies in Barabanki, also blasted the Congress and SP and targeted them over the matter of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the divisive, appeasement, and anarchic policies of the Congress and INDI alliance. Meanwhile, Congress' Tanuj Punia is targeting the BJP over jobs, the Constitution, and democracy. After the fourth phase of voting, it has become completely clear that the public is making the INDIA win. In the fourth phase itself, BJP's slogan of crossing 400 should be read as 4 because the public has started the countdown for them. The public is defeating the ones who are playing with farmers, youth, businessmen, employees, students, women, sportspersons, jobs, livelihood, Constitution and democracy..., Punia said In a post on X. In another post, Punia urged people to vote for the Congress and said, Defeat inflation, unemployment, hatred and injustice with your one vote. Press the hand button on May 20, vote for Congress. Notably, SP and Congress are allies in the opposition INDIA bloc formed to take on the BJP in the ongoing 2024 general elections. In the 2019 polls, the BJP emerged triumphant, securing 62 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, while two seats were clinched by its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP garnered five, and the Congress Party secured only one seat. In the 2014 elections, the BJP secured 71 out of 80 seats. SP secured five seats, while Congress garnered only two seats. (ANI)
SC hears plea of arrest under Gangsters Act
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Sanjay Kumar sought response from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea filed by petitioner Raj Khan, against whom an FIR was lodged.
Scorching heatwaves: Rajasthans Barmer, UPs Kanpur hottest at 46.9 deg C
Jaipur, May 19 (IANS) Rajasthans Barmer and Uttar Pradeshs Kanpur recorded the maximum temperature of 46.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday, making the two districts the hottest [] The post Scorching heatwaves: Rajasthans Barmer, UPs Kanpur hottest at 46.9 deg C appeared first on Sarkaritel.com .
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Originally, there werent any plans for a second season, says Shriya Pilgaonkar about the newly released sequel of the web series, 'The Broken News.' The love we received in 2022 enabled us to do so, she adds. Two years ago, the Zee5 show saw Shriya step into the shoes of Radha Bhargava, a fearless and determined TV journalist who, by the end of the season, is falsely implicated as a terrorist and imprisoned. Based on the BBC One show Press, it is written by Sambit Mishra, and revolves around two competing news channels and explores the challenges faced by journalists. In season 2, Radha is out on bail, seeking retribution against the ratings-driven journalist and Josh TVs head Dipankar Sanyal, played by Jaideep Ahlawat. She has teamed up with Ameena Qureshi, a principled editor, who heads Awaaz Bharti, portrayed by the versatile Sonali Bendre Radha has completely flipped in season two; shes back with a vengeance. Shes not the same person she used to be. While earlier, there were certain principles, morals and ethics she had always worked with, prison has hardened her. Now she is angry and feels betrayed by the system, the actor says. Shriya adds that she found the process of revisiting Radha intriguing, particularly because of the choices she makes. She admits having to actively refrain herself from judging the character. It was quite a challenge for me to portray her in this season because its so far off from who I am as a person. But, I think thats the fun in acting, as I enjoy playing characters that are on the edge, that are on the cusp of transformation, she says adding, Learning and unlearning is a constant part of an actors evolution. The writing of season two is incredible, and we were encouraged to add layers to our characters. A poster of The Broken News Although Shriya has been in the industry for over a decade, she is still finding her footing. After a brief stint in theatre, she made her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in 'Fan' in 2016, to a noteworthy response. Her breakthrough role, however, came two years later with the popular series, 'Mirzapur', where she played a strong, independent woman amid a patriarchal mafia milieu of an Uttar Pradesh town. She also starred in the Netflix film, 'House Arrest' (2019) and the show, 'The Gone Game' (2020). The first season of 'The Broken News' is the second major project headlined by Shriya after the 2022 show 'Guilty Minds'. Making the latest show even more significant in her career is the fact that she shares screen space with the likes of Ahlawat and Bendre. Theres so much give and take when you work with such great actors. That energy and creating that dynamic with them is extremely exciting for me. Sonalis part was not easy. Theres so much respect between Ameena and Radha. Ameena has always been so protective of Radha, but at the same time, she understands that Radha has to fight her own battles, Shriya says, adding, Jaideeps stillness, on the other hand, is so powerful, and I have some fantastic scenes with him. The Radha-Dipankar scenes are actually my favourite. The exchange of energy is a lot of fun. Born to critically acclaimed actors Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar, Shriya has the right genes in place. As for displaying her acting prowess, she is getting there, albeit gradually. After all, slow and steady wins the race.
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The News Mill
Severe heatwave grips parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat; mercury soars above 45 degrees Celsius ANI News
Stifling heat in northwest India to continue for another five days
NEW DELHI, May 18: The extreme heat scorching large parts of northwest India will continue for another five days, with Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh predicted to bear the maximum impact. A brutal heat wave swept swathes of north India on Friday, with the maximum temperature soaring to a scorching 47.4 degrees Celsius []
Aurangzebs soul has crept into Congress: Yogi on inheritance tax
MALEGAON/PALGHAR (MAHA), May 18: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday took a swipe at the Congress over its alleged proposal to introduce inheritance tax, saying that Mughal emperor Aurangzebs soul has crept into the grand old party. He likened the inheritance tax to the jizya tax imposed by Aurangzeb on non-Muslim citizens. Addressing []
HC grants bail to 11 suspected members of terror groups AQIS, JMB
HC grants bail to 11 suspected members of terror groups AQIS, JMB The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench has granted bail to 11 alleged operatives of terror groups Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), stating that a special NIA court order extending the time for filing the charge sheet in the matter is ''illegal''. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police had nabbed the alleged operatives in 2022 and they were accused of aiding in the preparation of sleeper modules for AQIS and JMB in Uttar Pradesh. A bench of justices AR Masoodi and Manish Kumar Nigam, in its order on Friday, allowed the appeals of the 11 arrested. It was pleaded on behalf of the appellants that the ATS was legally required to file a charge sheet in the matter within 90 days but it failed to do so. Meanwhile, the special NIA Court on December 12, 2023, extended the time for filing the charge sheet. Considering the entire circumstances, the bench observed, ''The order of the Special Court extending the period of investigation on an application moved by the Investigating Officer is illegal and against the law,'' and granted bail for the accused. Those granted bail are Mohammed Aleem, Mohammad Nawajis Ansari, Lukman, Mudassir, Mohammad Mukhtar, Mohammad Nadeem, Habeedul Islam, Mohammad Harish, Ash Mohammad, Qari Shahjad and Ali Noor.
Lok Sabha Polls: Dimple Yadav holds roadshow in support of SP candidate in Gonda
Lok Sabha Polls: Dimple Yadav holds roadshow in support of SP candidate in Gonda Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav on Saturday held a road show in support of the party's Gonda Lok Sabha seat candidate Shreya Verma. Later, while addressing the people in Gonda, ahead of the fifth phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections on May 20, Dimple Yadav said SP is the only party that knows how to maintain relationships and responsibilities. Shreya Verma is contesting against two-time sitting BJP MP Kirtivardhan Singh for the Gonda Lok Sabha seat. Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda parliamentary constituency will be held in the fifth phase on May 20. In the fifth phase, elections will be held in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state, including Mohanlalganj, Lucknow, Raebareli, Amethi, Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Barabanki, Faizabad, Kaiserganj, and Gonda, while there will be a by-election in the Lucknow East Assembly constituency. The Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh are being held in seven phases. Polling in the first four phases has already been completed. Polling for the remaining Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 20, May 25, and June 1. The counting of votes will be done on June 4. In the 2019 general elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won 62 out of 80 seats, and its ally Apna Dal (S) won two seats. Mayawati's BSP won 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP won five. The Congress party secured only one seat. (ANI)
LS polls: Campaigning ends for phase five; 49 seats to witness voting on May 20
LS polls: Campaigning ends for phase five; 49 seats to witness voting on May 20 The campaigning for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections ended on Saturday, as 49 constituencies across eight States and Union Territories will vote on May 20. The states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal will be going to polls in the fifth phase, along with two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir; and Ladakh. The last date of filing nomination for this phase was May 3. 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. He also said that the Opposition will impose 'inheritance tax' and take away more than half of people's property. During his address at UP's Pratapgrah, PM Modi stepped up the attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that after the announcement of Lok Sabha results on June 4, opposition's INDIA bloc will get scattered Khatakhat, Khatakhat, Khatakhat. This was a dig at Congress' Rahul Gandhi's earlier remarks that money will be credited to the bank accounts of women Khatakat Khatakat... after the formation of the INDIA bloc government. He also came down heavily against the Congress party's manifesto, Prime Minister Modi said that if the Maoist manifesto is implemented, the country will become bankrupt. On one hand, Modi has a report card of 10 years and a roadmap for the next 25 years. On the other hand, you have INDI Alliance: Where there are as many parties that many promises, as many PM candidates as many parties, he said at a public meeting in Mumbai. If the Maoist manifesto of the Congress party is implemented, the country will become bankrupt, he added. The Opposition attacked the government, highlighting issues of inflation, unemployment and alleging that BJP, if returns to power, will end Constitution. In Raebareli, one of the key seat going to polls in fifth phase, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi urged the people of Raebareli to accept his son Rahul Gandhi just like the way they accepted her while assuring that he won't disappoint them. Everything I have is yours...I am handing over my son to you. You have to accept him and keep him, just like you accepted me. Rahul will not disappoint you, she said. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah, during his address in Bandipora said that the Muslim community is being targeted in the nation and further questioned that do Muslims have no right to participate in development of the nation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is seeking a third term from Lucknow, hit back at the opposition for accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of destroying democracy and reminded the Congress of the Emergency of 1975, when fundamental rights of citizens were suspended. Another notable issue ahead of this phase was Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal getting interim bail in the Delhi liquor policy case. He was given interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 1. Coming out of jail after 50 days, he attacked the BJP over his arrest, claiming that his fault was making schools and giving free electricity. Apart from Delhi, the AAP national convenor also held public meetings in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. From Rahul Gandhi to Smriti Irani, from Karan Bhushan Singh to Chirag Paswan; many big names will have their fate at stake during the fifth phase of general elections. Other big names like Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya will also be looking for electoral success. The general elections are being held across seven phases. The first four phases were held on April 19, April 26, May 7, and May 13, while the subsequent phases are scheduled on May 20, May 27 and June 1. The counting of votes will happen on June 4. While the Bharatiya Janata Party, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term in power, while the Opposition INDIA bloc is aiming to form its government at the Centre. (ANI)
LS polls: 49 constituencies in eight states and UTs to vote in fifth phase on May 20
LS polls: 49 constituencies in eight states and UTs to vote in fifth phase on May 20 People from 49 constituencies across eight States and Union territories will be voting in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 20, during which several key candidates will be in the fray. The states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal will be going to polls in the fifth phase, along with two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir; and Ladakh. Notably, the fifth phase is the smallest in terms of number of seats being polled across all seven phases. The following seats will vote on May 20 across the eight states and Union Territories: Maharashtra: Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai North, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South-Central and Mumbai South. Uttar Pradesh: Mohanlalganj, Lucknow, Raebareli, Amethi, Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Barabanki, Faizabad/Ayodhya, Kaiserganj and Gonda. Bihar: Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur. Jharkhand: Chatra, Koderma, Hazaribagh. West Bengal: Barrackpur, Bangaon, Howrah, Uluberia, Sreerampur, Hooghly and Arambagh. Ladakh: The sole constituency of Ladakh, will go to polls first time since the abrogation of Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir: The Baramulla constituency will go to polls first time since the abrogation of Article 370. From Rahul Gandhi to Smriti Irani, from Karan Bhushan Singh to Chirag Paswan; many big names will have their fate at stake during the fifth phase of general elections. Other big names like Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya will also be seeking electoral success. Congress leader Kishori Lal Sharma, the Gandhi family's close aide, has been fielded against Smriti Irani in Amethi. Being tasked with wresting power from the BJP, KL Sharma has exuded confidence in winning the polls. He is up against incumbent MP and Union Minister Smriti Irani. She ended the Gandhi family's stint in 2019 by defeating Rahul Gandhi by over 55,000 votes. Rahul Gandhi, who also contested from Wayanad, will be aiming to retain the lone standing bastion of the party in the state -- Raebareli. On Friday, Sonia Gandhi in her public address, had urged people to vote for her son, Rahul Gandhi. I am handing over my son to you, you have to accept him just like you accepted me, he won't disappoint, she said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be aiming for a third straight win in Lucknow. He will face Samajwadi Party candidate Ravidas Mehrotra in this seat Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time is up against Congress' Bhushan Patil from the Mumbai North seat. BJP has fielded 26/11 special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, replacing two-time MP Poonam Mahajan against Congress' Varsha Gaikwad from Maharashtra's Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat. After much contention, BJP dropped Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj after sexual harassment allegations by female wrestlers. The party has fielded his son Karan Bhushan Singh from the seat, who will be seeking to retain his family stronghold. LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan is aiming to carry forward his father Ram Vilas Paswan's legacy. He is pitted against RJD's Shiv Chandra Ram. Rohini Acharya, the daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, is contesting against BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy who registered resounding wins against Lalu Prasad's kin in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the first general elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, Baramulla will go to polls on May 20. National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah is pitted against Sajad Lone of the Peoples Conference (PC) and Mir Mohammad Fayaz of the Peoples Democratic Party. Ladakh is going to polls as a separate union territory for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 bifurcated the erstwhile state into UTs J-K and Ladakh. BJP's Tashi Galsyan is pitted against Congress candidate Tsering Namgyal. The general elections are being held across seven phases. The first four phases were held on April 19, April 26, May 7, and May 13, while the subsequent phases are scheduled on May 20, May 27 and June 1. The counting of votes will happen on June 4. While Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term in power, while the Opposition INDIA bloc is aiming to wrest back power from the incumbent BJP. (ANI)
Sena versus Sena contest in Thane Lok Sabha seat, voting on May 20
Sena versus Sena contest in Thane Lok Sabha seat, voting on May 20 Thane, one of the 48 Maharashtra Lok Sabha constituencies, will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the General elections. The seat will witness the contest between two factions of Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Rajan Baburao Vichare, the sitting MP from Thane, who will contest against Shiv Sena's Naresh Mhaske. The Thane Lok Sabha seat comprises six assembly constituencies; Mira Bhayandar, Kopri-Pachpakhadi, Ovala-Majiwada, Thane, Airoli and Belapur. The Mahayuti of the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP ironed out the creases in their alliance in Maharashtra. Sources mentioned that the winning ability of a candidate from the Shiv Sena was a key criterion in leaving the seat for them. The Yuti alliance felt that with the seat being a Marathi voter-dominant seat, the Sena was assured of a thumping victory. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself is an MLA from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat and wields considerable influence in the area that was once dominated by his mentor, the late Anant Dighe. Additionally, the Sena also holds the Ovala-Majiwada assembly seat, while Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde, is the MP from the neighbouring seat of Kalyan. The other four assemblies in the Thane Lok Sabha seat are held by the BJP. The Thane Lok Sabha seat is currently held by three-time MP Rajan Vichare, who is with the UBT Shiv Sena. Vichare was again named the candidate for the seat and campaigned vigorously. Vichare, however, battles severe anti-incumbency along with the loss of several cadres from the region who earlier this month pledged loyalty to Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Shiv Sena's Rajan Baburao Vichare secured victory with 740,969 votes, defeating Congress candidate Anand Paranjape, who received 328,824 votes. In a post on X, Shiv Sena candidate Naresh Mhaske said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to become Prime Minister again after the Lok Sabha polls Modi government once again! Today, on the occasion of campaigning for Thane Lok Sabha Constituency, party workers meeting was organized in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendraji Fadnavis with great pomp. Devendraji interacted with all the workers of Mahayuti and gave them valuable guidance. A large number of MLAs, office bearers and workers of Mahayuti from Thane Lok Sabha constituency were present on this occasion, he said. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the Lower House of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats. The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four. Following the split in the Shiva Sena 2022, the Eknath Shinde faction aligned with the BJP. (ANI)
Did not attend Pran Pratishtha as they were afraid of their vote bank, Amit Shah slams Samajwadi Party Taking a jibe at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav, Union Home Amit Shah claimed that they did not attend the Pran Pratishtha as they were afraid of their vote bank. Their vote bank is not you (the public), their vote bank are those intruders... They have left no stone unturned for their vote bank politics, he said. Amit Shah on Saturday addressed a public gathering in Uttar Pradesh's Banda. While urging the people to vote for the party candidate RK Singh Patel, Shah also emphasised the various works done by RK Singh Patel for the people of the region. He (RK Singh Patel) has done the work of developing Ranipur Sanctuary Tiger Reserve (located in Chitrakoot district)... 1,20,000 people got home, 2,45,000 mothers got gas cylinders, 2,70,000 households got drinking water, more than 3,00,000 toilets were constructed, and 2,50,000 farmers received Rs 6000 annually. He has done so much work for Banda-Chitrakoot, Shah said. Shah added further, If you make RK Singh MP, then BJP will make him a big man. Shah also took a jibe at SP's rule and said that the state under their regime witnessed violence and kidnapping by the mafias and goons. In 2017, you choose BJP and made Yogi Adityanath as your Chief Minister, and Yogi worked against the goons. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the Bundelkhand expressway, and the work to join Ken-Betwa is going on... He added further, And I promise you that if you make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the third time, there will be no single agricultural land in Bundelkhand that will be devoid of the waters of Ken-Betwa. With Rs 35,000 crores, PM started the work of ken-Betwa... Amit Shah also targeted Congress' Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav over the Covid-19 vaccines. That time, Rahul Baba and Akhilesh Yadav used to say that this was Modi Tika. Don't take it, otherwise, you will fall ill. When they saw that everyone had taken the vaccine, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, in the darkness of night, also took the vaccine. They should feel ashamed that, at a time when the country was fighting against coronavirus, these people were doing politics. I have come here today to tell you that these people cannot save the country.He said that Pakistan Occupied Kashmir belongs to India and BJP will get it. Pakistan Occupied Kashmir belongs to India and we will get it...Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar says that Pakistan has an atom bomb so don't ask for PoK. But we are from BJP and we are not scared, he added. Meanwhile, Amit Shah also took to his official X handle and posted, Bundelkhand, which was a victim of extreme neglect in the previous governments, has seen development for the first time under the Modi government. This huge crowd at the public meeting in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh is a testimony to the fact that Modi ji is coming back again. Uttar Pradesh's Banda will go into polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20. (ANI)
Raebareli Lok Sabha Constituency: Rahul Gandhi to take on BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh at Congress' bastion Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh is one of the hotly contested seats, as it has been the stronghold of the Gandhi family and this time Congress has fielded Rahul Gandhi to contest against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dinesh Pratap Singh. After representing Amethi from 2004 to 2019, Rahul Gandhi has shifted to Rae Bareli this time. Raebareli is considered the Gandhi family bastion. Sonia Gandhi, the then Congress chief, won Raebareli last time in 2019. The BJP has fielded state minister Dinesh Pratap Singh against Rahul Gandhi, who has also contested from Wayanad in Kerala, while BSP has fielded Thakur Prasad Yadav. Raebareli, the most-watched seat in the fifth phase, will go to the polls on May 20. The results will be announced on June 4. The Raebareli Lok Sabha Constituency comprises five Assembly segments, including Bachhrawan, Harchandpur, Raebareli, Sareni, and Unchahar. The constituency is a general seat. This time, instead of Sonia Gandhi, Congress has pitted Rahul Gandhi, who will be up against BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh, who was also a three-time MLA. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded Thakur Prasad Yadav for this seat. Dinesh Pratap Singh has won the Vidhan Sabha elections of Uttar Pradesh three times, twice on a Congress ticket (2010 and 2016) and once on a BJP ticket (2022). Singh was in Congress earlier and in 2018, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Despite his defeat to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, he secured a significant 38 per cent of the total votes, marking the highest tally received by any BJP candidate in the constituency. Earlier, the BJP candidate from Raebareli took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and said that the Congress leader has sent his peon to contest from Amethi against the BJP's Smriti Irani. Does Rahul Gandhi really want to win Amethi and Raebareli? If he really wanted to win Amethi, why would he give a Lok Sabha ticket to his peon from Amethi? Rahul Gandhi will lose both Raebareli and Amethi seats, he said. Raebareli has traditionally been Congress' bastion. Singh had lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Raebareli constituency was represented by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi from 2004 to 2024. Prior to that, Sonia Gandhi had represented the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency after she entered politics and contested for the first time in 1999. After the former Congress chief announced that she would not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, the suspense was on the corner that who would fight the elections from Congress. Ending the speculations, Congress finally announced that Sonia Gandhi's son Rahul Gandhi. Notably, Rahul is a sitting MP from Kerela's Wayanad seat and is also contesting in 2024 from the same. On May 17, in her first public address in the ongoing election campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader and AICC President Sonia Gandhi urged the people of Raebarelli to accept his son Rahul Gandhi just like the way they accepted her while assuring that he won't disappoint them. This was Sonia Gandhi's first public address in Raebareli, her erstwhile constituency in a long time, and she recalled the 'age-old' roots of the Gandhi family with the people of the constituency. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present alongside her during her address. I am very happy that I got the opportunity to come among you after so long...You all gave me the opportunity to serve you as an MP, this is the biggest treasure of my life. For the last 100 years, the roots of our family are connected to the soil of this land. This relationship is as pure as Ganga Maa. It started with the farmer's agitation of Awadh and Raebareli, Sonia Gandhi said addressing the public meeting. In Indira Ji's heart, there was a special place for Raebareli. I have seen her work very closely, she had immense affection for you all. I have given the same teachings to Rahul and Priyanka, that Indira Ji and the people of Raebareli had bestowed upon me; respect all, protect the weak, fight for people's rights against injustice, don't be sacred, because the roots of struggle is very strong, Sonia Gandhi said. My aanchal (end of a saari, also refers to protective shelter) was always filled with your love and affection. Your love never made me feel alone Everything I have is yours...I am handing over my son to you. You have to accept him and keep him, just like you accepted me. Rahul will not disappoint you, the Congress leader said while making an emotional appeal to the people to accept her son. Sonia Gandhi held the seat for four consecutive terms since 2004, before she took the Rajya Sabha route to the Parliament this year. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Sonia Gandhi won the seat with a margin of 167,178 votes. Sonia Gandhi got 534,918 votes with a vote share of 55.08 per cent and defeated Dinesh Pratap Singh from BJP who got 367,740 votes (38.4 per cent). In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, Sonia Gandhi won the seat and was polled 526,434 votes with a vote share of 63.80 per cent. BJP candidate Ajay Agrawal got 173,721 votes with 21.05 per cent voters. Polling for 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh is being held across all seven phases. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4. (ANI)
Heavy Rainfall Alert: There will be heavy rain in these states including UP, IMD issued alert
The Meteorological Department said that many areas of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi will experience severe heat from May 18 to 22. Severe heat conditions will continue in Western Uttar Pradesh also on May 18 and 19. Heavy rainfall alert: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said that severe heat is expected to [] The post Heavy Rainfall Alert: There will be heavy rain in these states including UP, IMD issued alert first appeared on informalnewz .
Mahayuti will win, break all records: Maharashtra CM Shinde exudes confidence in NDA's victory
Mahayuti will win, break all records: Maharashtra CM Shinde exudes confidence in NDA's victory Amid the heated political atmosphere in Maharashtra as the state enters the last day of campaigning, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde emphasized the extensive development projects and economic progress in the region under NDA rule. This is the last day of campaigning and we are getting majority of the support. Rahul Shewale (BJP candidate from Mumbai South Central) will win from here with a huge margin, he has created such an atmosphere in the last ten years. PM Modi's work and development in the last decade has made our country reach heights. So many schemes are being initiated in Maharashtra. In the whole country, the biggest development and infrastruture projects are being built in Maharashtra. Indusries are being build, jobs are being given and on the basis of this Mahuyati will win on the coming May 20 and will break the records of last time, Shinde said while speaking to ANI. On opposition's criticism of Hindu political leader Veer Savarkar, Shinde remarked, They are unfamiliar with Savarkar, but they recognize Aurangzeb. They reject the saffron flag and prefer Pakistan's green flag. What can we expect from them when blast suspects like Iqbal Musa and Yakub Memon feature in their rallies? They are allergic to the saffron flag. The RSS always steps forward when the nation is in trouble. The RSS is a nationalist organization, Shinde asserted. The Bhartiya Janata Party is actively campaigning in the state during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at a public meeting in Mumbai, praising the BJP's development initiatives. Addressing a public rally in Mumbai, PM Modi said, Some people say that what Modi says is impossible. It is difficult to instill hope in people who are drowned in hopelessness. Everything is impossible for them. These are the same people who thought that the Ram Temple was impossible. The world has to accept that the people of India were so strong with their thoughts that they kept struggling for 500 years, for one dream...As a result, Ram Lalla is Virajman in a grand temple, the Prime Minister said. He also took a jibe at the Congress party over its on-fulfillment of the promise of eradicating poverty. Congress kept saying for 60 years that they will eradicate poverty... In their 20-25-minute speech from the Red Fort, the Prime ministers of this family only spoke on poverty...They made poor people feel as if they were born to live in poverty, it seemed impossible to eradicate people from poverty. In 10 years, Modi brought 25 crore people out of poverty. What seemed impossible, became possible, PM Modi added. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra are being held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. 13 constituencies including the six seats in Mumbai are among the ones that will vote on May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics. (ANI)
UP has tranformed from hub of countrymade pistols to cannon balls: Shah
Northwest India endures punishing heat for 2nd day on trot
Northwest India, including Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, experiences a severe heatwave with temperatures surpassing 45 degrees Celsius for the second day. The India Meteorological Department issues red warnings for Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and west Rajasthan, and orange alerts for east Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, highlighting high health concerns for vulnerable populations.
Yogi addresses 144 election programmes in 49 days
4 Flats Destroyed In Fire After Generator Blast At UP Housing Complex
Four flats in a society in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad were engulfed in a massive fire that broke following a blast in a generator.
In DNA of current EC to not take cognisance of 'brazen' MCC violations by PM: CPI(M)
In DNA of current EC to not take cognisance of 'brazen' MCC violations by PM: CPI(M) The CPI(M) on Saturday slammed the Election Commission, alleging that it is in the ''DNA'' of the current panel to not take cognisance of the ''brazen'' violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Citing Modi's remarks that the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress will ''bulldoze the Ram temple'' and its poll code violation complaints to the commission, the Left party claimed that the election panel has completely ignored its complaints. Modi, while addressing a Lok Sabha election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki on Friday, alleged that the Congress will run a bulldozer on the Ram temple if the INDIA bloc comes to power. ''If the SP-Congress comes to power, it will send Ram Lalla once again to a tent, and a bulldozer will be rolled over the temple,'' he said. The CPI(M), SP and the Congress are among the constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP in the polls. Sharing a clipping of a headline in a post on X, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, ''It is in the DNA of the current ECI (Election Commission of India) not to take cognisance of such brazen violation of the MCC by PM Modi.'' ''Earlier my complaints on Modi's incendiary communal speeches in Ajmer on April 6, Nawada on April 7, Pilibhit on April 9 with video evidence and the speech of Banswara with clippings of newspaper reports were completely ignored without even the customary acknowledgment,'' he said. ''The ECI slogan, ''Desh ka garv'', to describe the current elections is totally hollowed out by such nonconduct of 'free and fair elections' with a level playing field,'' Yechury said. The CPI(M) has filed a number of complaints against Modi and other BJP leaders for violation of the Model Code of Conduct, including those related to his speech in Banswara in Rajasthan. While addressing a rally in Banswara on April 21, Modi had suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would ''redistribute'' wealth to Muslims. He had also alleged that the Congress plans to give the people's hard-earned money and valuables to the ''infiltrators'' and ''those who have more children''. Yechury had written to the Election Commission on April 22 on the Banswara speech, calling it a violation of Section 123 (3) of the Representation of People's Act and the poll code. In another letter to the commission on April 13, the CPI(M) had raised various instances where Modi making references to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, levelled allegations against opposition parties and labelled them as ''opponents of the temple'', ''being against Lord Ram'' and ''insulting Lord Ram''. The letter gave references of speeches made by Modi in Nawada in Bihar on April 7, in Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh on April 9 and in Ajmer in Rajasthan on April 6.
ED files charge sheet against Shine City
Uttar Pradesh Transforms Under Modi and Yogi Leadership: Amit Shah
NEW DELHI: Highlighting Uttar Pradesh's transformation from a state known for producing country-made pistols to cannon balls, Union home minister Amit Shah said at an election rally in Lalitpur on Saturday that the state started developing only after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister and Yogi Adityanath the chief minister. Mr Shah also addressed an election rally in Banda and took part in a roadshow in Amethi in favour of BJP candidates. Canvassing for his party candidate from Jhansi Anurag Sharma, who is eyeing a second term, Mr Shah said, There was a time when country-made pistols were produced in Uttar Pradesh. But Mr Modi built a defence corridor in Bundelkhand and now cannon balls are made here. He added that if Pakistan makes any mistake, the shells made in Bundelkhand will be used to destroy them. Slamming Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's atom bomb remark that has sparked a political row, he said, Mr Aiyar said Pakistan should be respected as it has the atom bomb and not ask for PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) from the country. But this is Narendra Modi's government. We are not afraid of the atom bomb. PoK belongs to India and will remain so. We will take it. In a purported video clip that went viral on social media, Mr Aiyar is heard saying India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it as it also possesses the atom bomb. Making a clarification, Mr Aiyar had said the video was old and dredged up now that the BJP's election campaign is faltering. The Congress said it totally disagreed with the remarks made by him some months ago. In a veiled attack on the Opposition, the Union minister said, This land fought against the Mughals and the British. Now Bundelkhand also has to fight against the desi angrez present in our country. Urging people to vote in favour of the BJP, the home minister said, This election is for the development of the country, for securing the country. This election is an election to protect our religion and culture. This election is to make India great. It is for the welfare of the poor in the country. And to quench the thirst of Bundelkhand. Launching a scathing attack on the Opposition, Mr Shah said, In this election, on one side there is the INDIA bloc which has committed a scam of `12-lakh crores. On the other hand, there is Mr Modi, who has together served for 23 years as a chief minister and Prime Minister, but no one can level a corruption allegation of even `25 paise on him. \On one side are (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi and (SP chief) Akhilesh Yadav, who were born with a silver spoon. On the other hand, there is our leader, Mr Modi, who was born in the house of a poor tea seller, the senior BJP leader said. On one side, there is the Samajwadi Party, which opened fire on Ram bhakts . On the other side, there is Mr Modi, who is building the Ram temple, he added. The home minister said the Congress party wants to divide the country into two halves -- South India and North India -- but no one can break India as long as the country is run under Mr Modi's leadership. Later, while addressing an election rally in Banda in favour of BJP candidate R.K. Singh Patel, Mr Shah pointed out that this election is between those who opened fire on Ram devotees and those who built the temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. The Union minister reminded the gathering that the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh had opened fire on karsevaks and devotees of Lord Ram during the Babri Masjid demolition and turned Saryu river red with blood. Mr Shah also said Mr Yadav, his wife and Dimple Yadav, Mr Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi did not attend the 'pran pratistha' ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya as they are afraid to lose their votebanks. Attacking the INDIA bloc and Mr Gandhi, the Union home minister said the Opposition Alliance members have said they will have different Prime Ministers on a rotational basis. But Rahul baba, this is not a grocery shop. To run the country, a strong Prime Minister is needed, one who has a 56-inch chest, he added. Sharpening his attack on the Opposition, he said, This entire ' ghamandia gathbandhan ' (arrogant alliance) is an alliance of familists who work only for their sons and daughters. Sharad Pawar wants to make his daughter Supriya Sule the chief minister, while Uddhav Thackeray wants the same position for his son Aditya Thackeray and Mamata (Banerjee) wants it for her nephew. And Mrs Gandhi wants to make her son the Prime Minister. In Uttar Pradesh, on the last day of campaigning for the fifth phase of polling in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Mr Shah took part in a roadshow taken out to garner support for Smriti Irani, the BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidate from Amethi. Mr Shah and Ms Irani greeted people in an open-top vehicle decorated with saffron flags, banners and flowers, with the slogan of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre written on it. As the roadshow started from the Ramlila Maidan and proceeded till the Devipatan temple, the crowd raised the Jai Shri Ram slogan. The Jhansi, Banda and Amethi Lok Sabha seats will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.
Yeh mullah hai: Journalist Raghav Trivedi recounts assault on him at Amit Shah rally
Journalist Raghav Trivedi who was recently heckled and attacked by allegedly Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters, during Union Home Minister Amit Shahs election rally in Rae Bareli of Uttar Pradeshrecounted his ordeal in an interview with The Quint, raising a crucial question about the rights of Muslim journalists in India. Trivedi, who works for the Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Coming from RSS, Modi is anti-women, says Stalin
Chennai: Given his retrograde right wing RSS background, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seemingly opposed to womens progress, which was exemplified by his recent campaign against the State Governments scheme providing free bus travel for women by falsely citing it as a reason for the lowering of patronage for the Metro Rail, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Saturday. Taking strong exception to the Prime Ministers remarks that free bus travel prevented people from using the Metro Rail, Stalin, in a message, clarified that the trips made by Chennai Metro Rail had only gone up from 3.28 crore trips in 2019 to 9.11 crore in 2023, pointing to an enhanced use of Metro Rail services now, which was quite contrary to what Modi was now erroneously claiming. It was for implementing the free bus travel scheme that he had put in his first signature as Chief Minister after the DMK government assumed office and the scheme had gone a long way in giving an impetus to crores of women to progress in life as it gave them the freedom and mobility while Modi was unabashedly spreading lies to run down the scheme, Stalin said. Also objecting to Modis recent hate speeches peppered with lies, he said the people were watching in shock and agony the making of such reckless pronouncements and the silence of the Election Commission of India that should have stopped him from indulging in such false propaganda. As one fully into a hate campaign, in a bid to divide the people, Modi had not spoken anything on the demand to raise the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation for Scheduled Castes and Tribes and Other Backward Classes, though it would help people of Uttar Pradesh, too, in a big way, he pointed out. Though the demand by the people Tamil Nadu and the political parties committed to the cause of social justice in the State for raising the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation had gained ground in the country with more parties of the INDIA coalition supporting it, had Modi given any guarantee on that, he asked and added that he was only spreading hatred in the country. After realizing that his hate campaign had not had the desired effect on the people, Modi was resorting to cheap politics by seeking to create a rift between the States by untruthfully claiming that south Indian leaders were speaking ill of the people of Uttar Pradesh, he said and referred to earlier bids using BJP-backed Youtuber Manish Kayshup to spread lies about migrant workers being attacked in Tamil Nadu. Apart from the failure of his sustained hate campaign, Modi was unable to tell the people what the achievements of his government in the past 10 years were and was hence targeting the States ruled by opposition parties and it was in tune with that he had spoken about the free bus travel facility provided for women by the DMK government, Stalin said.
'I can say with confidence that Rahul Baba is losing from Rae Bareli,' asserts Amit Shah
LUCKNOW: In a last-minute push to BJP's poll campaign in the prestigious seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that he is confident that Rahul Gandhi is losing from Rae Bareli this time. Asking the people of Amethi to opt between PM Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he accused the latter of fleeing to Wayanad after losing Amethi in 2019. Now Rahul Baba is back in Raebareli. I have been in Raebareli for three days and can say with confidence that he is losing from there also, he said. Campaigning in 14 UP Lok Sabha constituencies, including Amethi and Raebareli, ended on Saturday evening as the voting is slated to take place on Monday, May 20. Shah held a 2-km road show in Amethi on Saturday, where he chose to denounce the Congress' claim that Amethi and Rae Bareli, widely considered as the bastion of Gandhi family, were their family seats. In a democracy it is the people, not a family, who send the candidate to the Parliament, Shah said questioning if any of the Gandhi family members turned up in Amethi or Raebareli during the pandemic. Shah, atop a four-wheeler turned into a Rath (chariot), was flanked by party candidate Smriti Irani, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhury, senior BJP leaders and the party MLAs, including Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, of the assembly segments under Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Wading through a humongous crowd of BJP cadre and local people, the roadshow, which commenced from Ramleela Ground culminated at Devipattan temple passing through Rajarshri Rananjai Tiraha, Gandhi Chowk and Sagra Tiraha amid the chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Jai Shree Ram. Groups of saffron clad youth could be spotted at various locations along the roadshow route dancing, blowing conch shells and beating damroos while the party supporters could be seen waving BJP flags and shouting the slogans. By holding the massive roadshow in Amethi where Congress has fielded KL Sharma against BJPs Smiriti Irani, Shah sought to firm up partys prospects in Raebareli and other adjoining seats including Sultanpur. Notably, Irani had emerged as giant killer in 2019 when she had defeated Rahul Gandhi by a margin of 55,000 votes. However, in Raebareli, BJPs Dinesh Pratap Singh had lost to Sonia Gandhi by a margin of over 1.67 lakh votes. In fact, Congress had won just Raebareli seat losing other 66 seats which it had contested in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. Earlier, the Union Home Minister addressed two poll rallies in Jhansi-Lalitpur and Banad-- in the Bundelkhand region of UP on Saturday. All the four seats of Bundelkhand including Jhansi, Banda, Hamirpur and Jalaun (SC) will vote in fifth phase on May 20. While addressing a poll rally in Jhansi, land of Rani Lakshmi Bai, Amit Shah reached out to people asking them to fight the desi Angrez just like they fought against the British and Mughals during the freedom struggle. He asked the people to choose between two categories of leaders. On one hand there are leaders who have been behind, Rs 12 lakh crore scams, born with a silver spoon and go to Thailand for Vacation, on the other, there was PM Narendra Modi who has his tenures both as CM and PM unblemished. He was born in a poor family and never took a holiday, Shah said. He also targeted Samajwadi Party as the ones who ordered firing at the Ram Bhakts in Ayodhya in 1990. On the other hand, we have Modi, who got the Ram Janmabhoomi case pursued, won it, and eventually got a temple constructed in Ayodhya, Shah asserted. Shah reiterated that the opposition leaders avoided going to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony for the sake of their vote bank. He claimed that Congress vote bank politics stood exposed as its leaders advised to keep away from the POK as Pakistan had atom bomb. We are not afraid of their vote bank. We would take back the PoK, which is an integral part of India, he said. Shah also claimed that after four phases, the BJP had crossed 270 mark. Now it is sure that Modiji will become PM for the third consecutive time and make India the third largest economy in the world, he said. The home minister said that there was a time when Bundelkhand was known for `Bahubalis. Give us the mandate, and we will ensure that Bundelkhand will give `udyogpatis (industrialists), he said, adding that the area would soon be prominently known for nestling the ambitious defense corridor that would wheel out state-of-the-art weapons. In Banda, he reached out to the women voters, saying that it was the BJP who empowered the women by giving them 33% reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. He took a potshot at the opposition for not having a definite PM candidate. If voted to power, they would make their leaders PM one-by-one every year, he said. There cannot be a PM stronger than Modi, who possesses a chest of 56 inches, he said.
Phase 5 Lok Sabha polls: Campaigning concludes; focus on high-profile seats
Polling will be held in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, J-K, and Ladakh on Monday.
Fifth phase: Campaigning ends for 49 seats; Amethi, Rae Bareli, Baramullah in limelight; WB sees highest security deployment Campaigning concluded on Saturday for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls covering 49 constituencies in six states and two UTs including the high-profile Rae Bareli and Amethi seats from where former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani are in the fray respectively. In Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla, former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who is among 22 candidates in the fray, held a roadshow in Soibugh - a central Kashmir village that was once a hotbed of militancy- on the last day of campaigning. While temperatures soared across the country, there was no let up in the campaign heat as the Lok Sabha election season entered the last fortnight. The Election Commission on Tuesday said it expects star campaigners, particularly of the national parties, to lead by example in the remaining three phases of the Lok Sabha polls and not vitiate the delicate fabric of society. With over 40 of these seats with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Prime Minister Narendra and other BJP leaders tried to fend off the challenge posed by the INDIA bloc parties by raising the pitch on issues of appeasement, dynastic politics, Ram temple, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), corruption and welfare initiatives taken by his government. ''If the SP and the Congress come to power, they will send Ram Lalla back to the tent and bulldoze the temple,'' Modi claimed. He also alleged that the opposition wanted to bring back Article 370. The Congress and other INDIA bloc parties accused the BJP of polarising voters with its ''Hindu-Muslim politics'', and not focusing on issues like unemployment and inflation. They also persisted with their offensive on the issues of reservations and protecting the Constitution. On Monday, polling will be held in 13 seats in Maharashtra, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in West Bengal, five in Bihar, three in Jharkhand, five in Odisha and one each in J-K and Ladakh. This round covers the least number of seats (49) in the seven-phase election. The parties also wrapped up canvassing in 35 assembly constituencies in Odisha, where BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is among the candidates. Among other prominent candidates in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls are several Union ministers including Rajnath Singh (Lucknow, UP), Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North, Maharashtra), Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (from Fatehpur, UP) and Shantanu Thakur (Bangaon, WB); LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan (Hajipur, Bihar), Shiv Senas Shrikant Shinde (Kalyan, Maharashtra ), and BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy and RJD president Lalu Prasad's daughter Rohini Acharya (both Saran, Bihar). Gandhi, who has contested from Wayanad in Kerala, is also in the fight for Rae Bareli, a Nehru-Gandhi family pocket borough that was represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi since 2004. The BJP has fielded UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh. On Friday, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi tried to strike an emotional chord as she said at a rally that she is giving her son to the people of Rae Bareli and ''Rahul will not disappoint you''. ''My everything is all given by you. So, brothers and sisters, I am giving you my son'' said Sonia Gandhi, as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stood by her side on the stage at the rally. Speaking before his mother, Rahul Gandhi said the ''youth across the country have made up their mind that they don't want Narendra Modi''. ''Narendra Modi will not remain prime minister after June 4 and the INDIA coalition government will be forme,'' he said. In Amethi, Union minister Smriti Irani, who had defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019, is seeking a second term, while KL Sharma, an aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded by the Congress. From Lucknow, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is eyeing a fourth term. He is up against sitting SP MLA (from Lucknow Central) Ravidas Mehrotra. During a rally in Lucknow, Singh said, ''These elections are also to see who has raised the country's stature in the world.'' In the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which covers the temple town of Ayodhya, the electoral contest is mainly between sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh, who is seeking a hat-trick, and Awadhesh Prasad, the SP MLA from Milkipur (SC) assembly constituency in Ayodhya. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on May 15 announced that if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, it will double the quantity of free rations provided by the BJP government to the poor. Farmers' loans will be waived and Minimum Support Price will be guaranteed, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday. In Baramulla, besides Abdullah, former separatist Sajad Lone, former MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias 'Engineer Rashid', who is currently lodged in the Tihar jail, and the PDP's former Rajya Sabha member Fayaz Ahmad Mir are also contesting. With the separatist-sponsored boycott politics a thing of past now, the people are expected to participate in the elections in large numbers to chose their favourite. Political parties fielded their stalwarts as they gave the last push in Maharashtra where elections will conclude with polling in 13 constituencies in North Maharashtra and Mumbai Metropolitan Region on May 20. Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday addressed campaign rallies in Kalyan and Dindori in support of the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Mahayuti coalitions candidates and also held a roadshow in northeast Mumbai. Modi was again back in Mumbai on Friday for a rally in the citys Shivaji Park. Opposition bloc INDIA also held a rally the same day at the city's Bandra Kurla Complex that was attended by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal. On the concluding day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held public meetings at Malegaon in Nashik district and Palghar to canvass for Mahayuti candidates. Security has been stepped up in West Bengal's seven constituencies, with over 57 per cent of the polling stations identified as sensitive in the fifth phase, the highest till now in this election. Over 60,000 personnel of central forces, besides around 30,000 personnel of the state police, have been deployed, which is more than in the four previous phases in the state, an official said. Star campaigners, including Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, have held rallies for their respective party candidates. In Barrackpore, BJP candidate Arjun Singh is contesting against TMC's Partha Bhowmick and CPI (M)'s Debdut Ghosh. In Serampore, TMC's sitting MP Kalyan Banerjee is fighting against BJP's Kabir Shankar Bose. In Hooghly, actor-turned-politician Locket Chatterjee of the BJP is contesting against a fellow member of the film fraternity, Rachana Banerjee of the TMC. Voting will take place in Saran, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, Sitamarhi and Madhubani Lok Sabha seats of Bihar. In Saran, former Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy's bid to score a hat-trick has been challenged by RJD president Lalu Prasad's daughter Rohini Acharya, who had donated her kidney to her father. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who has suffered a back injury, campaigned for his elder sister in Saran. The curtains also came down on Saturday over campaigning for three Lok Sabha seats and Gandey assembly by-poll in Jharkhand. With the conclusion of Phase 4, polling for general elections had crossed the halfway mark as it was completed in 23 states/UTs and 379 Lok Sabha constituencies out of 543. The sixth and seventh phases are on May 25 and June 1 respectively. The counting of votes is on June 4.
Doctor's advice to cope with heatwave: Cover body parts while going out, keep yourself hydrated
Doctor's advice to cope with heatwave: Cover body parts while going out, keep yourself hydrated Amidst increasing mercury, Dr Deepak Maheshwari, Principal of SMS Medical College, has shared tips on how to protect oneself from heatwaves and rising temperatures, emphasising covering the body parts and staying hydrated. Speaking with ANI, Dr Deepak Maheshwari said, In such situation, small kids, old people, and those suffering from respiratory, cardiac or any other chronic issues are quite vulnerable. Hence, I would request everyone, common and vulnerable people to not go outside in extreme sunlight, unless and until it is necessary. He added further, If you want to go, then cover as much part of your body, wear full-sleeved clothes, white colour clothes, and caps. Stressing the importance of hydration, Dr Maheshwari said, Keeping your body hydrated will solve half of the problems... It is extremely important to keep yourself hydrated... Earlier in the day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a heatwave and a severe heatwave condition across vast swathes of North India, including several parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, between May 17 and 21. The premier weather forecasting agency said heatwave conditions were likely to prevail in parts of Uttar Pradesh from May 17-21; in isolated pockets of Gujarat between May 17 and 21; Bihar from May 17-20; Jharkhand between May 19 and 20; and north Madhya Pradesh from May 18-21; Gangetic West Bengal between May 18 and 20; and Odisha on May 20 and 21. While a red alert for severe heatwave was issued for west Rajasthan, an Orange alert was also out for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, East Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat. A yellow alert for a heatwave-like condition was issued as well for Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha. Rajasthan's Barmer recorded a maximum temperature of 46.5C on Friday, while Delhi's Ayanagar logged 46.2C. Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh recorded 44.9C while Gujarat's Surendranagar and Punjab's Patiala logged 44.7C and 44.4C respectively. An area is considered to be in the grip of a heatwave if the maximum temperature at a weather station reaches at least 40C and at least 30C or more for hilly regions. (ANI)
IANS Interview: Day-dreamer Akhilesh poses no challenge, BJP will sweep UP, says Bhupendra Chaudhary
Lucknow/New Delhi, May 18: Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, having risen from the grassroots to BJPs Uttar Pradesh President, is hopeful of the partys resounding success and performance in the state. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the BJPs state president said that the party is set to bag all 80 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh. [] The post IANS Interview: Day-dreamer Akhilesh poses no challenge, BJP will sweep UP, says Bhupendra Chaudhary appeared first on The Shillong Times .
Cong Seeks EC Action on Modi's 'bulldozer' Remarks, Says He is Inciting People
PM Modi, while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, had claimed that the Congress and the SP will run a bulldozer over the Ram temple if elected to power, and asked them to take lessons from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on where bulldozers should be used instead
Severe heat in northwest India for another five days; red warning issued
The Met office issued a red warning for Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and west Rajasthan and an orange alert for east Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Amit Shah's Big Claim; Says 'Intruders From Bangladesh Are Cong Vote Bank' | Watch
In a charged election rally in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah takes aim at the Congress and Samajwadi Party. He questions the absence of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav from the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha event, alleging fear of losing their vote bank. Shah further alleges that the Congress and SP consider intruders from Bangladesh their vote bank. He accuses Rahul and Akhilesh of indulging in vote bank politics. Additionally, Shah boldly predicts Narendra Modi's return as PM for the third time on June 4, sending a strong message to the India Alliance.
Lok Sabha polls: 889 candidates to contest elections in phase 6 on May 25
Lok Sabha polls: 889 candidates to contest elections in phase 6 on May 25 The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Saturday said that a total of 889 candidates from eight States and Union Territories (UTs) will contest elections in phase six of the Lok Sabha elections that will be held on May 25. This includes 20 candidates for the adjourned poll in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency (PC) of Jammu and Kashmir, the poll body said. According to the election commission, 1,978 nominations were filed for 57 parliamentary constituencies across the seven States and UTs (excluding the adjourned poll in PC 3-Anantnag-Rajouri of J-K). The last date for filing nominations for phase 6 for all 07 States and Union Territories (excluding adjourned polls in PC 3-Anantnag-Rajouri of Jammu and Kashmir) was May 6. After the scrutiny of all nominations filed, 900 nominations were found to be valid. In 3-Anantnag-Rajouri, a total 28 nominations were filed in Phase 3 and 21 nominations were found to be valid, it added. In phase 6, Uttar Pradesh had a maximum of 470 nomination forms from 14 parliamentary constituencies, followed by Haryana with 370 nominations from 10 PCs. The poll body further mentioned that the average number of contesting candidates in a parliamentary constituency for the sixth phase is 15. Ranchi parliamentary constituency in Jharkhand received the maximum number of nominations with 70, followed by North East Delhi PC in the national capital territory of Delhi with 69 nominations, it added. Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases till June 1. Polling for four phases has already been concluded. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4. (ANI)
Nadda rejects opposition claims, says BJP will retain North in LS polls and will be ahead of Congress in South BJP president JP Nadda has hit out over south mein saaf and north mein haaf' jibe at the party by some opposition parties and asserted that the BJP will retain its Lok Sabha seats in north India while having a lead over Congress in the southern states. In an interview with ANI, Nadda expressed confidence of the BJP winning the Odisha assembly polls and also forming a government in Andhra Pradesh with its allies. He said the BJP will sweep Lok Sabha polls in Odisha and will achieve a landslide victory with its allies in parliamentary polls in Andhra Pradesh. The BJP is in alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) in Andhra Pradesh. Nadda said the BJP will sweep the northern parts of the country in Lok Sabha polls as it did in the 2019 elections. We are keeping ourselves intact in the North and will retain (tally in) Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Jammu, Haryana, and Delhi, Nadda said. In Andhra Pradesh, we are going to form a government and in the parliamentary election, BJP and TDP are going to sweep. In Telangana, we are getting more than double (of the seats won last time), and in Tamil Nadu also we are getting a good start. We are also opening our account in Kerala and will maintain our seat share in Karnataka, Nadda. The BJP had done very well in Karnataka in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and won 25 of 28 seats. Asked if BJP will retain an equal number of seats, Nadda said they would get 25 and plus, minus one seat might happen. That's why in the South as well, we will have a lead over Congress in the tally. And in East as well we will maintain our tally Nadda said. Leaders of Congress and some other opposition parties have taken south mein saaf and north mein haaf' (wiped out in the south, half in the north) jibes at BJP, claiming that the party will not perform well in the Lok Sabha polls. Asked if Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is allergic to him and Home Minister Amit Shah, Nadda said she has sensed that Bengal is getting out of her hands. She is allergic to everyone, this time Mamataji has sensed that Bengal is getting out of her hands. We will win a good number of seats in Bengal. They (TMC) will be in a minority, we will have a majority, Nadda said. We will form government in Odisha and BJP will have a landslide victory in the parliamentary election, Nadda said in response to a question. Asked about BJD leader VK Pandian's remarks that BJP does not have a CM face against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Nadda said the party did not have a CM face in states such as Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and emerged victorious in assembly polls. We did not have in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and in Chhattisgarh, he said, adding that the party did not take long to decide its CM candidates after victory in assembly polls. On poll-related violence in West Bengal, Nadda said law and order is a state subject. We (the centre) can support them but Mamata Banerjee's intentions are not clear. Her intention is dubious. He slammed the West Bengal CM over the Sandeshkhali violence and accused her of being silent. She was silent on the case of Sheikh Shahjahan, the High Court had to give the inquiry to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Women were shouting and you even didn't bother, he said. Asked about the allegations of Mamata Banerjee that the Sandeshkhali incident was a conspiracy of the BJP, Nadda said, Dishonest administrator, dishonest politician. If I'm the CM and a case like this comes to me, I'll say that I'll investigate into this. I'll go into the details of it. Why was she quiet at first and later she blamed the BJP. She compromised with the nation for a vote bank. TMC is providing shelter to infiltrators and giving them ID cards and ration cards, making them voters, this is anti-national activitiy They also give protection to such people, Nadda added. BJP President further accused Mamata Banerjee of spreading misinformation regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act. She is spreading misinformation about CAA. She's doing anti-national things. CAA will not be given to someone who is coming from outside. Doesn't Mamata understand this, is she so illiterate? No. She understands everything. But she is trying to misguide the innocent people. (ANI)
