Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: BJP appoints LS poll in-charges, co-incharges for several states and UTs

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- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin addressed an election campaign rally in Tenkasi District.
- "The BJP tends to prioritise public welfare only during elections. Presently, there's a decrease in petrol and diesel prices, alongside a reduction in gas prices, primarily coinciding with elections. Despite the Modi government being responsible for the initial price hikes, they are inclined to disassociate themselves from such increases, adopting a stance of indifference", he said.

- Dilip Tirkey, on being made BJD's face from Odisha's Sundargarh, addressed reporters today, thanking the Chief Minister for the opportunity.
- "I express my gratitude to CM Naveen Patnaik for entrusting me with the opportunity to represent Sundargarh. His dedication to being actively involved with the community has been commendable. Significant strides have been made, including the establishment of the world-renowned Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium and initiatives focusing on women's empowerment and youth development. Over the past decade, the BJD Government under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik has tirelessly served Odisha. I am confident that the people's blessings will continue to favor the BJD abundantly in the upcoming elections," said Tirkey.

- TDP MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar today addressed the issue of alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct in Andhra Pradesh during his discussion with the Election Commission of India regarding representation.
- "I have filed a report with the Election Commission regarding a breach of the Model Code of Conduct. Members of the TDP party have uncovered a significant stash of election-related items such as watches, grinders, t-shirts, cookers, speakers, and cellphones. This discovery was reported to the District Election Authority, specifically the District Collector, by TDP representatives. The items were found in an FCI godown. Despite lodging complaints with both the District Election Authority and the CEO, no action has been taken in the past 24 hours. Despite our complaints to the election authorities, no action has been taken, leading us to suspect collusion between the police and the local YSRCP government", said the TDP MP.

- 38 candidates, including Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, have filed their nominations for the first phase polls scheduled on April 19 in Assam.
- On the last day of filing of nominations on Wednesday, 26 people filed their papers and they include sitting BJP MP Topon Gogoi in Jorhat, Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa in Kaziranga and MLA Ranjit Dutta in Sonitpur.

- The BJP on Wednesday released its list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
- N Eswara Rao will contest from Etcherla, P Vishnu Kumar Raju (Visakhapatnam North), YS Chowdary (Vijaywada West)

- The BJP today released issued its seventh list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
- Navneet Rana has been fielded from the Amravati constituency in Maharashtra.

- Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader of BJD, Naveen Patnaik, released the second list of candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections:
- Arup Patnaik will be vying for Puri constituency.
- Abinash Samal is set to contest from Dhenkanal.
- Rajashree Mallik has been nominated for Jagatsinghpur.
- Achyuta Samanta will represent Kandhamal.
- Santrupt Mishra will be the candidate for Cuttack.
- Sarmistha Sethi has been selected for Jajpur.

- The Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting for Goa is currently in progress at the party's headquarters in Delhi.

- While addressing Chhindwara BJP candidate Vivek Kumar Sahu's nomination rally, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said today, "I can see that the entire nation believes in 'Ab ki baar, Modi Sarkaar, Phir ek baar, Modi Sarkaar. This historic moment is unfolding in Chhindwara as well, marking the first instance of a local resident becoming a Member of Parliament".

- BJP's internal meeting regarding the upcoming Lok Sabha election preparations is underway at the party's extension office.
- Reportedly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party chief JP Nadda and party's National General Secretary (Org) BL Santhosh are present at the meeting.

- BJP's face in Bhubaneswar, Aparajita Sarangi, today hailed PM Modi's developmental efforts, "I received blessings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah, and JP Nadda. I'm thankful for their trust in me. Also, I'm grateful for the support and blessings from the people of Bhubaneswar, who have shown tremendous enthusiasm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisions India as a developed nation by 2047, and I am committed to working towards that goal. There's a widespread desire for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to serve a third term, and we aim to secure more than 15 seats out of 21 in the upcoming elections".

- AAP's MP from Jalandhar, Sushil Kumar Rinku, upon joining the BJP today, "From the very beginning, I've been involved in development efforts. The people of Jalandhar played a pivotal role in our victory in the by-elections, yet I feel disheartened by our inability to address their needs. The roads are in poor condition, littered with garbage, and plagued by mountains of waste. The fact that these issues persist despite directives from our party's national leader speaks volumes about the state of the Municipal Corporation and other governing bodies".

- Shashi Panja, a West Bengal minister, responding to the show cause notice issued to BJP MP Dilip Ghosh regarding his statement against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, said, "Yesterday, the Election Commission had assured us that they would investigate the matter. Dilip Ghosh consistently employs such language, hence we demanded significant measures to be taken against him..."

- BJD leader Manmath Routray, commenting on being named the party's face from Bhubaneswar, "It's an auspicious day for me. Never did I imagine that my name would be under consideration for the prestigious Lok Sabha seat in Odisha - Bhubaneswar. This realization feels like a dream fulfilled."

- Upon joining the BJP, former AAP leader Sheetal Angural stated today, while interacting with the media, "The moment has arrived to unveil AAP's deceit. They have deceived the people of Punjab. I will soon present evidence concerning Operation Lotus..."

- On March 27, the Election Commission of India sent show cause notices to BJP MP Dilip Ghosh and Congress leader Supriya Shrinate for their remarks aimed at West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Kangana Ranaut, respectively.
- The ECI stated that the recent comments made by both leaders violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and required a reply by 5 pm on March 29.

- Commenting on the poll preparedness in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo, while interacting with the media, said, "We encourage individuals to report more instances of Model Code of Conduct breaches. Our initiative involves installing CCTV cameras in 45,000 out of our 68,500 polling booths.

- Union Minister and BJP candidate from Thiruvananthapuram Rajeev Chandrasekhar said today, "We aim to discuss development and progress. Instead, the chief minister often diverts attention by focusing on issues like a Muslim saying 'Bharat Mata ki Jai,' spreading falsehoods about the CAA, or other distractions. This detracts from what the people of Thiruvananthapuram truly want to know: which leaders have effectively served them and improved their lives, and which have not. It's evident that the Kerala government has not succeeded in enhancing the lives of its citizens over the past eight years."

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister will not contest Lok Sabha Elections 2024, according to sources. This comes on the last day of filing nominations for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 19.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case against Veena, daughter of Kerala Chief Minister, and her IT firm, among others, in connection with an alleged case of "illegal" payments, according to officials.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has unveiled its list of candidates for nine Lok Sabha seats in Odisha for the upcoming elections.

1. Pranab Prakash Das: Sambalpur
2. Lambodhar Nial: Kalahandi
3. Manmath Routray: Bhubaneswar
4. Anshuman Mohanty: Kendrapara
5. Nabarangpur: Paradip Majhi
6. Sundargarh: Dilip Tirkey
7. Mayurbhanj: Sudam Marandi
8. Ranjita Sahu: Aska
9. Kaushalya Hikaka: Koraput

"We want other people in the party to get a chance. We will talk to the CM later today. When he (KH Muniyappa) was here, we were affected by his style of functioning and faced hardship. There is a general feeling in the constituency that SC community is not being represented. We want a candidate from other than this family." MC Sudhakar, along with three other MLAs and two MLCs, met with the chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council today.

Five Congress legislators have voiced their intention to resign over the party's decision to field senior leader and Minister K H Muniyappa's son-in-law, Chikka Peddanna, for the Kolar Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming elections. This development exposes divisions within the party.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur, speaking during a roadshow in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur, emphasized the BJP's accomplishments in the region. He stated, "The BJP has brought peace and prosperity, and development to Jammu and Kashmir. We - under the leadership of PM Modi - are asking for votes on the basis of that. We had promised to abrogate Article 370 and 35(A) and end terrorism, and we did that."

In response to the Shiv Sena (UBT) announcing Amol Kirtikar as their candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai North West constituency, former Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam expressed his anger on Wednesday, threatening to "open to all the options."

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel stated that both ruling and opposition parties protested for various demands, leading to adjournment till Monday. The ruling party sought Kejriwal's release, while opposition had differing demands.

According to Tamil Nadu Chief Election Officer Sahyabrata Sahoo, there was a "violation of the Election Model Code of Conduct and offence committed by DMK and its leader Anitha R Radhakrishnan" against Prime Minister Modi. DEO has provided a report on DMK Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan (against the speech on PM Modi). Anitha Radhakrishnan, a minister for the DMK, has been the subject of a formal complaint under the applicable IPC sections. Additional research is being conducted.

On Wednesday, NCP members of Sharad Pawar staged protests following the announcement of Shiv Sena UBT's candidature from the Mumbai North East Lok Sabha constituency. The seat served as the unbroken NCP's stronghold.

He announced that the party will go solo in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This comes a day after the party had given an ultimatum on deciding on his demands for seats.

Before submitting his nomination, Nitin Gadkari cconducts a roadshow on preparation for submitting his nomination, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari participated in a roadshow in the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra on Wednesday.

In a conversation with Bengal BJP candidate Amrita Roy, the PM states that he is trying to make sure that the underprivileged get the money that the ED took from them.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami hosted a public rally in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Anil Baluni for the Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency at Ramlila Maidan in Pauri Garhwal.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence in the BJP's win in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, saying, "This time, there is a discussion of crossing 400 in the entire country." We shall attain a greater triumph than 2019 in the 2024 Lok Sabha."

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: On his nomination, Union Minister and BJP candidate Bhupender Yadav states, "The top leadership of the party (BJP) nominated me from Alwar." I'm here to carry forward the 'Modi Ki Guarantee'. This promise ensures that we will bring all schemes and projects for development... We can see a fresh level of enthusiasm in people... People are becoming more optimistic as a result of the developmental work carried out under PM Narendra Modi's leadership.

The Delhi High Court is due to hear Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's challenge against his detention by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week and a trial court's ruling that remanded him in the agency's custody for a week.

Before submitting his candidature for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, K Annamalai, the BJP state president and candidate for Coimbatore, visited the Arulmigu Koniamman Temple to offer prayers. Additionally present was MLA Vanathi Srinivasan. Location: Coimbarore's Koniamman Temple.

The banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal received $16 million from pro-Khalistan Sikhs. SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun claimed in a video that Kejriwal promised to release 1993 Delhi blast convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar in exchange for financial support during a meeting at Gurdwara Richmond Hills, New York, in 2014.

The Bharatiya Janata Party announced a list of leaders who would be campaigning for party candidates in the state of Madhya Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections. The list contains the names of forty prominent figures who will spearhead the party's campaign efforts throughout the state. In Madhya Pradesh, the party will be campaigned for by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP Chief Jagat Prakash Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Former BJP Chief Nitin Gadkari. Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav, Shiv Prakash, MP BJP chief Vishnu Dutt Sharma, Mahendra Singh, Satish Upadhyay Shri Satyanarayan Jatiya, Jagdish Devda, Rajendra Shukla

Karnataka BJP election coordinator Yesterday, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal stated, "There are numerous inconsistencies in the Congress government. Within the party, there is competition between the Siddaramaiah and DK Shivkumar factions. When elections are held, the Congress government will collapse."

The YSRCP leader and chief minister, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, is starting a 21-day bus trip on Wednesday from Idupulupaya in the Kadapa district called "Memanta Siddham" (We are all ready), which is expected to heat up the vote campaign in Andhra Pradesh.
After the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the legislative assembly and Lok Sabha polls on March 16, Jagan's bus tour will be his first electoral campaign.

Sports Minister and Youth Wing Secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), participated in a campaign at Vaniyambadi for Kathir Anand, a candidate running for the Vellore Parliamentary Constituency.In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "sleepless" comments earlier on Tuesday, Udhayanidhi Stalin declared that the DMK party will not go to sleep until it sent the BJP and PM Modi packing in the Lok Sabha elections.

On Tuesday, the Congress declared their nominees for the remaining four Chhattisgarh Lok Sabha seats. On the list are two ladies and an MLA who are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). With this, the main opposition party has announced its candidates for the state's eleven Lok Sabha seats, which will be chosen upon in three stages in April and May. Also announced are all of the BJP's candidates for the state. The four candidates contesting for Congress are Devender Singh Yadav (Bilaspur), Biresh Thakur (Kanker-Scheduled Tribe reserved), Shashi Singh (Surguja-ST), and Dr. Menka Devi Singh (Raigarh-ST).

The head of the Samajwadi Party in Rampur stated that the district unit is now inclined to boycott the Lok Sabha elections because they had wanted SP president Akhilesh Yadav to run from this seat.

A statement signed by Azam Khan, the detained leader, and district unit president Ajay Sagar accused the ruling BJP of violating polling laws and going too far against leaders of the Samajwadi Party.

Due to these "special circumstances" in the constituency, they had requested Akhilesh Yadav to run from Rampur; however, the letter hinted that he had declined the invitation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the BJP campaign in Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats, on March 30 with a massive event in Meerut. Arun Govil, the actor who played Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan in the 1980s, is running for the position, with a message about the Ayodhya temple, which was inaugurated earlier this year.

In its latest move towards the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided not to offer tickets to around 100 of its sitting Members of Parliament (MPs). This decision comes as the party released six lists of candidates for over 400 seats, leaving many sitting MPs out of the race.

Punjab is set for a four-cornered race after the BJP declared on June 1 that it would stand alone in the state's single-phase Lok Sabha elections, ending rumours that it would form a new alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The latter had left the NDA in 2020 in response to a farmers' movement against three farm bills that the Centre later withdrew.

Following alliance talks, the BJP has decided to compete on its own in Punjab, the second state after Odisha. The first talks for a partnership between the BJP and CM Naveen Patnaik's BJD in the eastern state since the regional party left the NDA in 2009 broke down on or around March 22.

Actor Kangana Ranaut met BJP's JP Nadda, sharing gratitude for his guidance and support. BJP declared her as Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Kangana expressed excitement, affirming her unconditional support for BJP and commitment to contesting Lok Sabha polls from her birthplace.

Congress extends invitation to Varun Gandhi after BJP excludes him from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit seat. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury cites Gandhi's lineage and clean image, urging him to join Congress, highlighting his connection to the Gandhi family.

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) has scheduled a meeting of the Central Parliamentary Executive Committee for this Wednesday, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Mahesh Tapase, chief spokesperson for Sharad Chandra Pawar, has stated that this conference will cover the Lok Sabha candidates.

Sharad Pawar will be present for the meeting. This meeting will be attended by the party's Maharashtra president, MLA Jayant Patil, MP Supriya Sule, PC Chacko, Anil Deshmukh, and Jitendra Awhad, in addition to members of the Central Parliamentary Board.

The BJP dropped all of its current MPs from these seats it won in 2019—including Union minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh—and announced three new candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday. In lieu of the Union minister, Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh, a minister in the Manipur government, was fielded from the Inner Manipur constituency. The BJP has fielded Indu Devi Jatav from Karauli-Dholpur and Kanhaiya Lal Meena from Dausa and Karauli-Dholpur, respectively, in two Rajasthani seats, eliminating incumbent MPs Manoj Rajoria and Jaskaur Meena.

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