Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: Congress releases seventh list of candidates, drops Mani Shankar Aiyar in Tamil Nadu

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- Congress today released its seventh list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

- Former Congress legislator Shashank Bhargava and others joined the BJP today in Bhopal in the presence of state BJP chief VD Sharma, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav, and previous chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

- The YSRCP has announced Eerla Anuradha as the candidate for the Madugula assembly election.
- It also announced Deputy Chief Minister Budi Mutyala Naidu as the candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections from Anakapalle.

- JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy announced today that an official announcement about the party's candidates from the three sectors that it will be fighting in Karnataka will be made soon, hinting that he will be running in the Lok Sabha elections from the Mandya constituency.
- The people of Mandya want him to run from there in order to preserve the party and fortify its foundations, the former chief minister declared, referring to the area as the "heart of JD(S)".
- HD Deve Gowda, the patriarch of the JD(S) and a former prime minister, also made a distinct comment regarding Kumaraswamy's Mandya battle.

- BJP's face from Meerut, Arun Govil, who reached the party office in Meerut today, said while interacting with the media, "There is no challenge anywhere. If someone is committed to their task and sets out to do it honestly, they will undoubtedly succeed. My purpose is to offer my love, compassion, and sensitivity to the people of Meerut. I have never done anything in my life that makes anyone blame me".

- BJP leader Arjun Modhwadia, on getting a ticket for Porbandar seat in the state assembly by-elections, said today, "I want to express my gratitude to the party leadership for providing me with this chance... A resolution on Viksit Gujarat will be accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolution on a developed India, and as a BJP member, I would endeavour to support both resolutions."

- Former Congress leader Namdeo Usendi became a member of the BJP in Maharashtra's Nagpur today.
- The former MLA tendered his resignation from the Congress party's primary membership this morning.

- Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitendra Patwari, while interacting with the media today, commented on the Congress' candidate list from Madhya Pradesh.
- "Every Madhya Pradesh candidate will be announced by tomorrow. Over 200 MPs have changed sides, 500 MLAs have been purchased, and 17 administrations have crumbled. Congress will now safeguard the nation that it helped to liberate and develop," he said.

- The BJP has written to the Election Commission of India over "violation of the Election Model Code of Conduct and offence committed by DMK and its leader Anitha R Radhakrishnan", reported ANI today.
- The BJP has asked the Election Commission to order Anitha R. Radhakrishnan to issue an unequivocal apology to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to prohibit him from participating in any more election campaigning. The BJP asks the EC to mandate that a criminal probe and FIR be filed against him right away.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called Basirhat-based BJP candidate Rekha Patra, a victim of Sandeshkhali, to discuss campaign preparations.
- She was also addressed as "Shakti Swaroopa" by the prime minister.
- With Patra's candidature, the BJP is viewed as making a clear message in favour of the women of West Bengal and Sandeshkhali.

- PM Narendra Modi gave a call to Professor TN Sarasu, the Keralan BJP candidate from Alathur, as per ANI.
- PM Modi enquired about the success of her campaign.
- He vowed strict actions against the cooperative bank scam accused. He also ensured that the properties and funds that ED has attached would go back to the underprivileged, stated ANI.

- Swami Sumedhanand Saraswati filed his nomination as the BJP candidate from Sikar today.

- Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma and Deputy CM Diya Kumari also accompanied him to his nomination filing.

- Former Congress leader Ravneet Singh Bittu who joined BJP today, said in an interaction with the media, "Every time I brought up Punjab's issues, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister always responded favourably. We want to move Punjab ahead.Why should Punjab be left behind when the nation is benefiting? "
- "I have witnessed over the past ten years how deeply Punjab is loved by both Amit Shah and PM Modi. They wish to work on Punjab's growth in a big way", he further noted.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress (TMC), will reportedly kick-start campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls on March 31. Banerjee, who sustained a major injury on her forehead after a fall at her residence on March 14, has been advised by doctors to rest, and because of this, she has been absent from the campaign trail.

"Our party supremo will begin the poll campaign on March 31. She will address her first rally in Krishnanagar's Dhubulia in Nadia district. There, she will campaign for TMC's Krishnanagar candidate Mahua Moitra and Ranaghat candidate Mukut Mani Adhikari," a party leader told news agency PTI.

The BJP on March 26 nominated Manipur Education Minister Thounaojam Basantakumar Singh from the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, dropping sitting MP and Union minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.

The contestant, aged 59, is the son of former Union minister Thounaojam Chaoba Singh.

On March 26, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat, Trivendra Singh Rawat, filed his nomination for the upcoming elections.

Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar on March 26 announced that NCP state president Sunil Tatkare will contest from the Raigad Lok Sabha seat.

Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said, “Mahayuti will contest on all 48 seats. Who will contest from where has already been decided. Almost 90% of the things have been decided. All the announcements will be done on March 28, in a joint press conference.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its sixth list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024. In the sixth list, the party has named candidates from Rajasthan and Manipur.

The party has fielded Indu Devi Jatav from Karauli-Dholpur, Kanhaiya Lal Meena from Dausa and Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh from Inner Manipur.

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on March 26 filed his nomination as the BJP candidate for the Dibrugarh parliamentary constituency in Assam, an official told PTI.

Sonowal, accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, filed his nomination papers before Returning Officer Bikram Kairi.

Polling for the Dibrugarh constituency will be held on April 19 in the first phase of the general elections.

The Congress party's Central Election Committee (CEC) will meet once again on March 27 to finalise candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The voting for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be done in seven phases starting from April 19 to June 1.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress candidate from the Berhampore constituency, extended an invitation to BJP MP Varun Gandhi following reports of him not receiving a Lok Sabha ticket from the BJP.

Chowdhury said, "He should come here. We would be happy. He is an educated man with a clean image. BJP denied him a ticket because he is related to the Gandhi family. I think he should come (to Congress)."

Jagadish Shettar, a veteran leader who has returned to the BJP after a brief stint with the ruling Congress, is optimistic about his prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He is currently contesting from the Belagavi district and expresses confidence in his ability to secure a seat in the Lower House of Parliament.

"I am maintaining regular communication with all party workers and the residents of Belagavi. This region holds significant importance for me, and I am determined to fulfill the trust that the party has placed in me. I am hopeful of winning the MP seat from the Belagavi district," he told news agency ANI.

In the Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha election, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has filed her nomination from the Thoothukudi Parliamentary Seat on March 26. Kanimozhi started her road campaign in Thoothukudi on March 25, where she is vying for the 2024 Lok Sabha constituency, by garlanding the statue of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi near 'Kalaignar Arangam' on Ettayapuram road.

Additionally, she pledged that if the INDIA alliance secures power at the Centre, it would endeavour to lower the prices of petrol, diesel, and cylinders to Rs 75, Rs 65, and Rs 500, respectively.

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, Jyoti Mirdha, the BJP candidate from Nagaur constituency in Rajasthan, officially submitted her nomination papers on March 26. Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar accompanied her during the filing at the collectorate.

Mirdha, a former Congress MP from Nagaur, who switched allegiance to the BJP prior to the 2023 assembly elections, is set to contest against Hanuman Beniwal, the RLP convener, who is aligned with the Congress for this election. Rajasthan's Lok Sabha elections are scheduled across two phases on April 19 and 26.

Nagaur is among the 12 constituencies in Rajasthan where elections are slated for the first phase on April 19. The deadline for filing nomination papers for this phase is March 27.

Reports suggest that the alliance between the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) collapsed due to disagreements over the allocation of seats, with the Akali Dal expressing dissatisfaction regarding the seats the BJP sought.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, despite contesting jointly, the coalition between the BJP and Akali Dal managed to secure only 4 out of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. In contrast, the Congress emerged as the dominant force, securing victory in 8 seats, while AAP won 1 seat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections alone in Punjab, said state part chief Sunil Jakhar on March 26.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written a letter to the Election Commission, urging stringent measures against Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate and H S Ahir for their disparaging remarks aimed at actress Kangana Ranaut, who is contesting as the BJP candidate for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

Shrinate's Instagram post, containing objectionable comments about Ranaut, has since been removed from her Instagram handle. Additionally, Ahir, the state joint coordinator of Kisan Congress, also made derogatory remarks against her.

NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma has personally reached out to the poll panel, demanding action against both Shrinate and Ahir for their unacceptable conduct.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on March 26 reportedly issued his second directive from within the custody of the Enforcement Directorate. Reports suggest that this latest directive in relation to the Health Ministry.

In anticipation of the AAP's planned 'gherao' protest in response to Kejriwal's arrest, security measures have been significantly enhanced around PM Modi's residence. Furthermore, heightened security measures have been implemented across various other areas of the national capital. A Delhi Traffic Police official has indicated potential disruptions to movement in parts of New and Central Delhi due to the impending protest.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on March 26 is set to ‘gherao’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence and stage a demonstration in response to the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy scam case. AAP leaders and party members had previously altered their social media profile pictures to display an image of Kejriwal behind bars, as a show of solidarity with their party's leader.

Protests by the party and its supporters persisted in the national capital, encompassing actions such as burning effigies and organising candlelight marches.

- The Shiv Sena (UBT)'s first list of candidates in Maharashtra for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections will be formally declared on March 26, party leader Sanjay Raut said.

- The list of the Uddhav Thackeray-led opposition party, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state, will feature up to 16 names, he said.