The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced its new list of candidates featuring Kaiserganj and Raebareli seats. It dropped its Kaiserganj sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harrasment by several women wrestlers, and fielded his son Karan from the seat instead.
Meanwhile, in Raebareli, BJP has fielded Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate. The party announced its candidate for the Raebareli seat, which was held by Sonia Gandhi since 2004, amid suspense from Congress, which is yet to declare its candidate. Speculation has been rife that the Congress may field general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the Raebareli seat.
This, and more, in today's top political developments --
BJP fields Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's son Karan from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to field Karan Bhushan Singh -- sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's son -- from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh.
The saffron party has dropped its sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been embroiled in a sexual harassment controversy. For the first time since 2009, the BJP dropped its heavyweight leader and sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj seat and gave the ticket to his son.
Karan is presently the president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association. Previously, Karan was the senior vice president of the UP wrestling association.
Meanwhile, the party has announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate for Raebareli.
Opposition rakes up the EVM issue selectively, says home minister Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah refuted allegations levelled by the Opposition on EVM tampering and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) being the beneficiary of the practice.
In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Shah questioned the Opposition's politics of questioning the election mechanism when the outcome is not in their favour.
"I will first clarify one thing: Rahul Gandhi ji does not think about what he says ... If we won because of EVM, then why did we lose in Telangana, or in Tamil Nadu? Why have we been losing in Kerala for years? Why did we lose in Himachal and Bengal? Then Rahul Gandhi should say it clearly that even if we (Congress) win in the outcome shown by EVMs, we will not take oath," said the BJP leader answering a question on Opposition's continued attack.
Lack of self-confidence, says Amit Shah on Congress's Amethi, Raebareli suspense
Union home minister Amit Shah has said that Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi do not even have the "self-confidence" to contest from their own ancestral seats amid continued suspense over the candidates for Amethi and Raebareli.
In an exclusive interview to Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Shah took a jibe at Congress for not revealing its candidates for Amethi and Raebareli - the two Uttar Pradesh seats that are seen as the grand old party's bastions. The deadline to file the nomination will end on May 3.
Asked about speculations that Rahul and Priyanka may not contest, Shah said that "these people have lost their self-confidence".
"They don't have the self-confidence to fight even from their ancestral seat. If they didn't want to fight, why have they kept the decision on the seat pending for so long? If they had given it to a worker, at least he could have done some public outreach," he said, adding that the "confusion reflects the lack of self-confidence."
Former Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhry's effusive praise for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi triggered a political slugfest on Thursday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing the grand old party as the "disciple of Pakistan".
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a former minister in Imran Khan's cabinet in Pakistan, had shared a video featuring Rahul Gandhi on his social media handle and praised him. The caption read: "Rahul on fire".
In the video, Rahul could be heard attacking the BJP government over the people invited for the Ram Mandir's Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.
"Pakistan is crying because Congress is dying here. Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make 'shehzada' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) the next prime minister. This is not surprising because we already know that Congress is Pakistan's 'mureed' (disciple). The partnership between Pakistan and Congress has been exposed. It shows the country's enemies want a weak government in India, not a strong one," PM Modi said in Anand.
Senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan files nomination from Sambalpur
Senior BJP leader and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday filed his nomination for Lok Sabha polls from Sambalpur in Odisha.
In the morning, Pradhan visited Samaleswari Temple to seek blessings, before participating in a two-hour-long roadshow from the temple to the DC office where he filed the nomination.
"There is a demand for change in Odisha and the BJP is determined to win not only the Lok Sabha polls but also the upcoming assembly elections in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clarion call of '400 paar' and I am confident that all 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha will be won by the BJP," he told PTI.
Pradhan, who is a cabinet minister in the Modi government, is contesting elections after a gap of 15 years, after the BJP picked him as its candidate for Sambalpur, which is the epicentre of western Odisha.
'Trust ECI to take action,' says Delhi HC while disposing of PIL to curb deep fake videos in Lok Sabha polls
The Delhi High Court on May 2, observed that it trusts the Election Commission of India (ECI), to take appropriate action to stop the circulation of deep fake videos during the election.
Noting this, the court disposed off a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an organisation called Lawyers Voice seeking directions against the ECI. The court further noted that it cannot pass such orders against the ECI in the middle of the elections.
During the course of the hearing, senior advocate Jayant Mehta, who appeared for the petitioners, argued that the ECI certifies any political advertisement meant for print and electronic media and a similar mechanism should be put in place for the content on social media as well.
Rahul should not contest from Amethi; BJP artillery will target him, says Simi Garewal
Actor and TV host Simi Garewal shared her opinion on Rahul Gandhi's potential candidacy from Amethi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She expressed concerns about Gandhi becoming the target of the BJP's attacks if he chooses to contest from Amethi.
Garewal acknowledged Gandhi's capability to win in a fair contest but cautioned against him becoming "cannon fodder" for the BJP's political strategy. She suggested that there are "bigger battles to be fought" than risking Gandhi's candidacy in Amethi.
The advice from Garewal comes amidst speculation about whether Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Amethi and Rae Bareli respectively. While there has been anticipation about their candidacies, the Congress party has maintained silence on the matter.
Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case: Lookout circular issued against suspended JD(S) leader
A lookout notice has reportedly been issued against the incumbent JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sexual abuse allegations against him. This comes as the father-son duo failed to appear before the SIT, which was constituted by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah-led Karnataka government, said a report by News18.
Revanna was recently suspended by JD(S) amid a row over explicit videos. He is the BJP-JD(S) Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan in Karnataka.
The MP, who left the country as soon as the election to his constituency ended on April 26, had sought seven days' time to appear before SIT, which was rejected by the panel. Since the lookout circular has been issued, Prajwal is likely to be arrested as soon as he enters the country and reports at the immigration points.
A case has been registered against MLA and former minister HD Revanna and his son Prajwal at Holenarasipura on a complaint lodged by their former cook and relative for allegedly sexually harassing her. She also alleged that Prajwal made video calls to her daughter and spoke in an objectionable manner, which forced her to block him.
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