Assembly Elections 2021 News Highlights | Govt to implement all clauses of Bodo accord in 30 months: Amit Shah in Assam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said all clauses of the Bodo Accord signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi''s Government last year will be implemented within two-and-a-half years. Addressing an election rally at Udalguri under the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Shah said that after the signing of the Accord, it was decided that all insurgents will lay down arms and the centre will ensure all-round development of the region.

"Each promise made by the central and state government in the Bodo Accord will be fulfilled and all clauses implemented within two-and-a-half years. We want peace and development in Bodo areas", he said. Bodo youths instead of "picking up guns must use the computer to compete globally and instead of using hand grenades, should contribute to developing the nation,"Shah said.

PTI

EC reviews poll preparedness in Assam

"Election Commission of India (ECI) today reviewed poll preparedness for General Elections to Assam Legislative Assembly 2021. Meeting was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner, Sunil Arora,in presence of Election Commissioners Sushil Chandra andRajiv Kumar at Tezpur andGuwahati," the polling body said.

"Chief Election Commissioner Sh Sunil Arora directed all the officials to ensure that elections in the State of Assam are conducted in a peaceful, free and fair and safe manner with high voter turnout," ECI further added.

Election Commission's flying squad on March 22 searched Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan's vehicle in Tamil Nadu's Tanjavur district. Haasan was on his way to Trichy for a public meeting.

"Due to demonetisation andGST, the Indian economy was damaged. It was already weak andafter COVID it collapsed. Government now doesn't have money so they are forcibly taking money from your pocket to run the government,"Congress Rahul Gandhi said, during an interaction with students in Kochi.

Gramer Suresh, AIADMK Madurai leader andstate youth coordinator of MGR Organization was expelled from party today for 'anti-party activities', news agency ANI reported.Suresh filed his nomination as an independent candidate as he was not given AIADMK ticket to contest in the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly polls.

In yet another blow to the Congress in poll-bound Kerala, AICC member and KPCC Vice- President K C Rosakutty on Monday resigned from the party''s primary membershipand decided to associate with the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF."I have taken this decision after long deliberations. I am fed up with the factional wars in the party and hence decided to resign," Rosakutty said, ending her over 37-year association with the grand old party.

Pointing that the party of late has been sidelining women and it cannot be accepted, she said,adding Bindu Krishna, had to break into tears before the media before she was named the party candidate from Kollam, for the April6 Assembly polls in the state.She also said what happened to Lathika Subhash, who a few days ago had resigned from the party and tonsured her head in protest after being denied a ticket to contest from Ettumanoor in Kottayam district, had pained her. (PTI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party released the manifesto for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections 2021. The document was released by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Here are the key highlights:

• Greater Chennai will be divided into threeCorporations like Delhi.
• Legislative Council will be brought back.
• Indian Citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamils living in the Refugee Camps of India.

A Special Court in Delhi has sent Vikas Mishra, brother of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Vinay Mishra, to judicial custody till April 4, news agencyANIreported.He was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, in connection with the coal mining case.

"Recently, Rahul baba visited Assam. For him, visiting Assam is nothing more than a picnic. When he talks about labourers, I feel like laughing, as Congress didn't do anything for tea garden workers during the time they were in power," Union Home Minister Amit Shah said inUdalguri, Assam.

"There's BJPandAGP on one side, Congress andBadruddin Ajmal's party on the other. All Congress does is 'latkana', 'atkana' and'bhatkana' while we protect, fight for your rights and help you prosper. You must decide what you want,"BJP chief JP Naddasaid while campaigning in Assam's Behali.

The heat in poll-bound Bengal is unprecedented at the moment and can be compared to what we saw during the 2011 assembly election when Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress came to power ending a 34-year Left Front rule.

While West Bengal has always been a state where 'class not caste' and 'development not appeasement' has been the poll plank, the shift in the narrative of the two dominant parties in fray is hard to miss.

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BJP National President JP Nadda in Assam: Gopinath Bordoloi had to wait for Atal ji's government to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1999. In 2019, Bhupen Hazarika received same honour under the Modi government. By doing so, Atal ji and Modi ji paid respect to Assam's culture. Congress didn't pay any heed to them.

BJP making false poll promise of free ration, will not fulfil it: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the BJP of making a false promise to supply free ration ahead of the assembly polls in the state and said the saffron party will "never fulfil this".

Addressing a rally in Bankura district, Banerjee described the BJP as a "party of outsiders", and alleged that it is bringing "goondas to create terror" in the state.

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