Uttar Pradesh: Youth arrested for editing photo showing CM Yogi washing Akhilesh Yadav's feet

A youth has been arrested by the police for editing a photo of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath indecently and posting it on social media from the Surajpur area of Firozabad district in Uttar Pradesh

Rahul should go to Italy after his defeat in Rae Bareli: Shah

LAKHIMPUR KHERI/KANNAUJ : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of pushing ahead Pakistans agenda, saying Congress leader would be defeated in Rae Bareli after which he should settle down in Italy, the only place left for him. Hitting out at the INDIA bloc, he said leaders of opposition parties did not attend the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple as they were afraid of their vote bank and warned that they would put a Babri lock at the temple if they came to power. They might be afraid of their vote bank, we are not. Not only did we get the Ram Temple built, Modi also built the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor that was destroyed by Aurangzeb, he said at a rally in Lakhimpur Kheri, saying that if the opposition wins, crackers will be burst in Pakistan. If the INDI Alliance gets the majority, who will be its prime minister? Will Sharad Pawar, Mamata (Banerjee) Didi, (MK) Stalin, Akhilesh or Rahul become the prime minister? It does not even have a prime ministerial candidate. It neither has a leader, a policy nor determination, he said. Shah accused the Congress, SP and BSP of defaming the saffron party and Narendra Modi by saying if the prime minister gets 400 seats in the ongoing election, the reservation will be done away with. He accused the Congress of stalling the Ram temple issue for 70 years and said, When you made Modi the PM for the second time, he not only won the legal dispute involving the Ram Janmabhoomi but also performed the bhoomi puja of the Ram temple. Akhilesh didnt get Yadav nominee outside family Charging the SP with being a dynastic party, Shah said Akhilesh Yadav did not get a Yadav candidate outside his family. Akhilesh is contesting from Kannauj, his wife Dimple Yadav from Manipuri, Aditya Yadav from Budaun, Akshay Yadav from Firozabad and Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh, he said, adding, Once their children become mature, they will contest from all 80 seats. He slammed SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav for calling Ram temple bekar (useless).

High Voter Turnout in Third Phase; Clashes and Allegations Mar West Bengal and UP Voting

High Voter Turnout in Third Phase; Clashes and Allegations Mar West Bengal and UP Voting Nearly 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories with stray incidents of violence in West Bengal. Assam recorded the highest turnout at 81.71 per cent followed by West Bengal at 76.52 per cent and Goa at 75.20 per cent, while Uttar Pradesh witnessed the lowest at 57.34 per cent, with Bihar at 58.18 per cent, Gujarat at 59.51 per cent and Maharashtra at 61.44 per cent doing slightly better, according to the figures from the Election Commission at 12.15 am. The overall voting percentage was 64.58 per cent. According to the EC, the figures are an ''approximate trend'' and are likely to rise as data is being collected. While the official time for the voting to conclude is 6 pm, it can go beyond to enable voters who have come in the queue before the end of fixed polling hours to exercise their franchise. Among other states and UTs, Chhattisgarh recorded 71.06 per cent polling, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 69.87 per cent, Karnataka 70.41 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh 66.05 per cent, according to the EC. As many as 17.24 crore people, including 8.39 crore females, were eligible to vote in the third phase and 1.85 lakh polling stations manned by 18.5 lakh officials had been set up. With this, voting has been completed in 20 states/UTs and 282 Lok Sabha seats out of 543. The overall voting percentage in the first and second phases was 66.14 per cent and 66.71 per cent respectively. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who exercised their franchise in Gujarat, where elections were held in 25 seats. While PM Modi cast his vote at a polling booth in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah voted at a polling booth in Ahmedabad. Shah (Gandhinagar) is among the bigwigs in the fray along with Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). The stakes are high for the BJP in this round as it had won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, in the last election. Both the BJP and the INDIA bloc claimed that they had the upper hand after the third phase. ''Across all the states and UTs, voters from all walks of life have placed their faith in the NDA and our development agenda. INDI Alliance is losing even more steam, thanks to their regressive economics and outdated votebank politics,'' Modi said on X. The Congress claimed that the BJP has been wiped out in the south and reduced to half of its strength after the three phases ''Its very clear that for the BJP, it is South mein Saaf, North mein Half,'' Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X. In Uttar Pradesh, where several members of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's family are contesting, party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP workers were trying to ''loot booths'' in Mainpuri and people from opposition parties were being detained in police stations. Yadav cast his vote in Saifai (Etawah) in Mainpuri constituency where his wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav is contesting. Sporadic incidents of violence marred the polling in the four constituencies in West Bengal as TMC, BJP and Congress-CPI(M) workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats. According to state election officials, Murshidabad registered the highest voter turnout of 80.13 per cent followed by Maldaha Dakshin (76.15 pc), Maldaha Uttar (75.92 pc), and Jangipur (73.71 pc). The TMC, BJP, and the Congress-CPI(M) alliance lodged separate complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents. The EC received 182 complaints by 9 am, most of which were from Murshidabad and Jangipur constituencies. ''The TMC has unleashed a reign of terror in the entire constituency. Strict action must be taken by the Election Commission,'' Left-Congress combine candidate Mohammed Salim said in Murshidabad seat. In the Karimpur area of the seat, clashes were reported between the TMC and the CPI(M) supporters outside a few booths. Clashes were reported between the TMC and the Congress activists from the Domkol area. In some areas, TMC workers held protests alleging that central forces were assisting BJP workers in ''intimidating'' voters at booths in the Maldaha North constituency. In Uttar Pradesh, Agra witnessed 53.99 per cent polling, Aonla 57.08 per cent, Budaun 54.05 per cent, Bareilly 57.88 per cent, Etah 59.17 per cent, Fatehpur Sikri 57.09 per cent, Firozabad 58.22 per cent, Hathras 55.36 per cent, Mainpuri 58.59 per cent and Sambhal 62.81 per cent. ''In Mainpuri, BJP people are trying to loot booths. They are detaining opposition people in police stations,'' SP chief Yadav alleged without elaborating. ''There is information from some places that the government is using force. It is heard that officers have been deployed outside polling booths,'' he said. In Budaun, the villagers of Dhoranpur boycotted the polling to protest against the alleged non-fulfilment of their demand for a road. District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said the issue has come to his notice and a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been sent to the village. Not a single vote was also cast in three villages of Firozabad -- Nagla Jawahar, Neem Kheria and Nagla Umar -- as the villagers tried to draw the administration's attention to their problems. SP candidate Aditya Yadav in Budaun alleged that his party supporters were not being allowed to vote in some places. ''I have made a complaint in this regard with the EC observer and have given proof of police atrocities. We are only getting assurances,'' he said. Queues were seen at polling booths in most Lok Sabha segments in northern districts of Karnataka. Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Bhagwanth Khuba, and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge were among those who came in early to cast their votes. Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa along with sons B Y Raghavendra, BJP candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha segment, and B Y Vijayendra, party's state president, along with other family members cast their vote at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. Two government officials on poll duty died in Karnataka after suffering a heart attack, sources in the Election Commission said. A 45-year-old woman polling officer - Kaushika Babariya- deployed at a polling booth in Amreli district of Gujarat, also died of a heart attack. In Gujarat, the Banaskantha district collector ordered an inquiry after Congress Lok Sabha candidate Geniben Thakor alleged that electors were threatened and asked to vote for the BJP by some youngsters posing as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at a polling station. In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar were among those who cast their votes. Sharad Pawar was welcomed with a traditional 'aarti' as he arrived at a polling booth in the Malegaon area of Baramati constituency in Pune district. Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar cast their votes at a polling booth in Katewadi area of Baramati. Sunetra is pitted against her sister-in-law Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar's daughter and the sitting MP from there. In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and daughter Sukanya Sarma exercised his franchise at Amingaon in Barpeta Lok Sabha seat. Amid rains, people used different modes of transport, including boats, to reach the polling stations across Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar constituencies. With the BJP bagging Surat unopposed, 25 seats in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat went to polls on Tuesday, besides 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 of the 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa. Voting was held in two seats in Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and nine seats in Madhya Pradesh, including Betul where elections were earlier deferred. Over 1,331 candidates, including around 120 women, were in the fray in the third phase. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.

Some police officers violating ECI orders: SP candidate from Sambhal

Some police officers violating ECI orders: SP candidate from Sambhal Samajwadi Party candidate from Sambhal, Ziaur Rahman Barq, accused some police officers of attempting to disrupt the environment and violating the orders of the Election Commission during the third phase of voting in the Sambhal seat in Uttar Pradesh for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The SP candidate also said he has filed a complaint with the poll body and demanded that action be taken against such officers. The third phase of polling for 93 parliamentary constituencies spread over ten states and a Union Territory was held today. Our people want that peace be maintained and cast their votes peacefully. However, some police officers are trying to disrupt the environment here and do not follow the constitution and orders from the Election Commission of India...I have registered my complaint with the EC and action should be taken against such officers..., he told ANI. ECI is spending crores of rupees to increase voter turnout. But the Chief Electoral Officer, Sambhal, has crossed all the limits of indecency, the SP candidate added. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Tuesday that the behaviour of the police and administration is not right and in Mainpuri, party workers have been locked up. The behaviour of the police and the administration is not right. The BJP will be wiped out in this phase. Police are beating people in the Sambhal and we are getting information from Mainpuri that Samajwadi Party workers and leaders are being locked up. The ministers, their associates and family members are roaming freely. Therefore, I want to appeal to people to come out and vote and save democracy. I hope that the Election Commission will take action on it, he said. Meanwhile, polling concluded in ten seats in Uttar Pradesh: Sambhal, Hathras, Mainpuri, Agra (SC), Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Etah, Budaun, Aonla, and Bareilly. In this phase, more than 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in this phase at 1.85 lakh polling stations. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP bagged 72 of the 93 seats that were polled today. The general elections are being held across seven phases in a six-week marathon running from April 19 to June 1. The counting and the results will be declared on June 4. (ANI)

Samajwadi Party leaders remarks on Ram temple stirs controversy amid Lok Sabha polls

LUCKNOW: Kicking up a major controversy amid the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls, senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, dubbed Ayodhya's Ram temple to be useless as it was not properly constructed according to the Vastu Shastra. Yadav was interacting with media persons in Firozabad and was responding to a query over not visiting the temple so far. Roz Ram ka darshan karte hein (We pay obeisance to Lord Ram daily). He added that the temple in Ayodhya was useless as criticized the 'Vastu' of it. Vastu shastra is an ancient science that deals with the study of designing spaces in an interpersonal relationship with the forces of nature and cosmic energy. Are temples constructed like this? See the old temples... they are not constructed like this - from south to north. The map (of the temple) is not appropriate and not up to the mark as per 'Vastu', Ram Gopal Yadav claimed. It may be recalled that the Ram temple in Ayodhya was inaugurated in January this year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in sanctum sanctorum of the upcoming temple. The opposition leaders had slammed the politics around the temple and opted to skip the mega event on January 22. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath slammed Yada's remarks Ram Gopal Yadavs remarks did not go down well with the UP CM Yogi Adityanath slamming him by calling his statement an insult to the faith of millions of Ram devotees. Yogi said that not only did they disrespect the sentiments of millions of devotees but also questioned Lord Ram's divine authority. History is witness to the fact that whoever has challenged the divine authority has faced misfortune, Yogi Adityanath said while addressing a poll rally in Unnao on Tuesday. Ram Gopal Yadav's statement is an insult to the faith of those who have dedicated their entire lives to the Ram Temple and millions of Ram devotees. Indian society cannot accept this at all, he added.

LS elections third phase: Around 50 per cent polling recorded till 3 pm

New Delhi: A voter turnout of 50.71 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories on Tuesday with sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal. West Bengal recorded the highest turnout at 63.11 per cent followed by Assam at 63.08 per cent, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest at 42.63 per cent. According to the Election Commission, a voting percentage of 50.71 was recorded till 3 PM. The voting which started at 7 am will continue till 6 pm. A voter turnout of 47.03 per cent was recorded in 25 Lok Sabha seats of Gujarat, an Election Commission (EC) official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who exercised their franchise the state. While PM Modi cast his vote at a polling booth in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Shah voted at a polling booth in Ahmedabad. Shah (Gandhinagar) is among the bigwigs in the fray in this phase along with Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). In Uttar Pradesh, where several members of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's family are contesting, close to 46.78 per cent polling was recorded in 10 seats. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP workers were trying to loot booths in Mainpuri and people from opposition parties were being detained in police stations. Yadav cast his vote in Saifai (Etawah) in Mainpuri constituency where his wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav is contesting. Among other states, Assam recorded 63.08 per cent polling, Bihar 46.69 per cent, Chhattisgarh 58.19 per cent, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 52.43 per cent, Goa 61.39 per cent, Karnataka 54.20 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh 54.09 per cent, according to the EC. Sporadic incidents of violence marred the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in four constituencies in West Bengal as TMC, BJP and Congress-CPI(M) workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats. According to officials, Murshidabad registered the highest voter turnout with 65.40 per cent followed by Maldaha Dakshin (62.90), Jangipur (62.57), and Maldaha Uttar (61.50). The TMC, the BJP, and the Congress-CPI(M) alliance lodged separate complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents. The EC received 182 complaints by 9 am, most of which were from Murshidabad and Jangipur constituencies. In Murshidabad seat, Left-Congress combine candidate Mohammed Salim claimed that he caught hold of a fake booth agent in the Rabinagar area of the constituency. Salim faced go back slogans as he tried to enter a booth there following allegations of CPI(M) booth agents being heckled by alleged TMC goons. The TMC has unleashed a reign of terror in the entire constituency. Strict action must be taken by the Election Commission, Salim said. In the Karimpur area of the seat, clashes were reported between the TMC and the CPI(M) supporters outside a few booths. Clashes were reported between the TMC and the Congress activists from the Domkol area. BJP candidate Dhanajoy Ghosh faced protests by TMC cadres in the Jangipur area as he tried to enter some of the booths in the constituency. In Uttar Pradesh, Agra witnessed 43.67 per cent polling, Aonla 46.75 per cent, Budaun 45.44 per cent, Bareilly 45.96 per cent, Etah 48.93 per cent, Fatehpur Sikri 46.18 per cent, Firozabad 47.80 per cent, Hathras 44.63 per cent, Mainpuri 46.80 per cent and Sambhal 52.24 per cent In Mainpuri, BJP people are trying to loot booths. They are detaining opposition people in police stations, SP chief Yadav alleged without elaborating. He also alleged rigging of votes at some places and said, Information is coming from some places that the government is using force. It is heard that officers have been deployed outside polling booths. In Budaun, the villagers of Dhoranpur boycotted the polling to protest against the alleged non-fulfilment of their demand for a road. District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said the issue has come to his notice and a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been sent to the village. Not a single vote was also cast in three villages of Firozabad -- Nagla Jawahar, Neem Kheria and Nagla Umar -- as the villagers tried to draw the administration's attention to their problems. SP candidate Aditya Yadav in Budaun alleged that SP supporters were not being allowed to vote in some places. I have made a complaint in this regard with the EC observer and have given proof of police atrocities. We are only getting assurances, he said. SP candidate Zia-ur-Rehman Barq also alleged that a circle officer snatched voter slips from SP workers and detained them. He requested the EC to remove the officer immediately. Queues were seen at polling booths in most Lok Sabha segments in northern districts of Karnataka. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Bhagwanth Khuba, and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge were among those who came in early to cast their votes in Karnataka. Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa along with sons B Y Raghavendra, BJP candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha segment and B Y Vijayendra, party's state President -- and daughters-in-law cast their vote at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. Two government officials on poll duty died in Karnataka after suffering a heart attack, sources in the Election Commission said. In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar were among those who cast their votes. Sharad Pawar was welcomed with a traditional 'aarti' as he arrived at a polling booth in the Malegaon area of Baramati constituency in Pune district. Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar cast their votes at a polling booth in Katewadi area of Baramati. Sunetra is pitted against her sister-in-law Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar's daughter and the sitting MP from there. In Assam, people lined up in large numbers across four Lok Sabha constituencies to cast their vote. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and daughter Sukanya Sarma exercised his franchise at Amingaon in Barpeta Lok Sabha seat. People used all modes of transport, including boats, to reach the polling stations across Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar constituencies to exercise their democratic franchise amid rain. Over 1,300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray in the third phase. Voting was completed in 189 seats out of 543 seats in the first two phases. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.

People upset with government, BJP will face a very bad defeat: Akhilesh Yadav after casting his vote

People upset with government, BJP will face a very bad defeat: Akhilesh Yadav after casting his vote Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, his wife and SP candidate from Mainpuri Lok Sabha Seat, Dimple Yadav cast their vote at a polling station in Uttar Pradesh's Saifai. After casting his vote, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the ruling BJP party would face a very bad defeat as people of every section were upset with the government. Speaking with the reporters, Akhilesh Yadav said, ... BJP is going to have a very bad defeat because farmers, youth, businessmen, people of every section are upset with them. Yadav also alleged that the leaders of the BJP should be punished for deliberately conducting the elections in the summer season. He said, We are voting in summer and BJP people should also be punished for this, although they will say that this is the decision of the Election Commission, BJP people deliberately make you vote in the summer to hurt you. This voting could have taken place a month earlier. The SP chief also appealed to the people to vote and said, I appeal to all my colleagues and voters to vote in large numbers. This voting can change the lives of people. The SP chief also alleged that the BJP leaders and workers tried to capture the booth and said, We hope that the Election Commission will take action on the complaints that are coming. It is being heard at many places that BJP workers and leaders want to capture the booth. I saw an official here who was abusing people... I will appeal to the voters to vote in large numbers and remove this government... The polling is going on for 93 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states and union territories in the third phase of the general election on Tuesday. The states and union territories where the elections are being held in this phase are Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2), Goa (2), Gujarat (25), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (11), Madhya Pradesh (8), Uttar Pradesh (10) and West Bengal (4). The BJP has bagged the Surat seat unopposed. In Uttar Pradesh, voting is underway in 10 seats: Sambhal, Hathras, Mainpuri, Agra (SC), Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Etah, Budaun, Aonla, and Bareilly. In this phase, more than 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in this phase at 1.85 lakh polling stations. Prominent leaders to contest in today's poll battle include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav, and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, among others. In the 2019 general election, the BJP won 72 of the 93 seats that go to the polls today. The Lok Sabha elections are being held across seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. The counting is scheduled for June 4. (ANI)

Phase 3 Voting Begins in 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: Key Candidates and States

Today marks the commencement of the third phase of voting in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with polls opening at 7 am across 93 constituencies spanning 11 states and Union Territories in India. Notable contenders in this phase include Amit Shah, the Union home minister, seeking re-election from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, along with Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, Mansukh Mandaviya, and Pralhad Joshi contesting from various regions. Of significant interest is the electoral battle in Baramati, Maharashtra, a stronghold of the influential 'Pawar family', where Supriya Sule, daughter of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, faces competition from Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra's deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. The late Mulayam Singh Yadav's family also features prominently in this phase, with three members entering the electoral fray. This includes Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav, contesting for a seat, Akshay Yadav vying to regain the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat, and Aditya Yadav making his electoral debut from Budaun, previously held by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav. In total, 1351 candidates are contesting across these constituencies, with 17.24 crore eligible voters, including 8.39 crore females. The states and union territories participating in this phase are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The BJP has secured the Surat seat uncontested. Following today's voting, the next phases are scheduled as follows: Phase 4: May 13 Phase 5: May 20 Phase 6: May 25 Phase 7: June 1 Vote counting for all 543 seats is slated for June 4, marking the culmination of the electoral process. PM Modi's Transit Visit: Meeting Booth Workers, Public Meeting in Dhar-Khargone Bengal Leads Voter Turnout at 14.6% by 9 AM; Maharashtra Lags Behind at 6.64%

Shivpal Yadav's organisational efficacy is at test in Badaun

Dimple won Mainpuri bypolls. Badaun tests Shivpal's son Aditya. Mayawati targets Muslim votes. Firozabad features Akshay Yadav. Sambhal has Ziaur Rahman Barq. Bareilly sees Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar against Praveen Singh Aron.

Polling begins in UPs 10 Lok Sabha constituencies

Polling begins in UPs 10 Lok Sabha constituencies Lucknow: Polling for 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh began on Tuesday morning in the third phase of the parliamentary elections. The constituencies where polling is being held include Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Aonla, and Bareilly, spanning across 12 districts [] The post Polling begins in UPs 10 Lok Sabha constituencies appeared first on Mangalorean.com .

Polling begins for 10 third-phase seats in UP

Polling commenced for 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, including Mainpuri, in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Over 1.89 crore voters will decide the fate of 100 candidates. This phase is crucial for the Yadav family, with Dimple Yadav aiming to retain Mainpuri, Akshaya Yadav contesting for Firozabad, and Aditya Yadav making his debut from Budaun. Other key candidates include Union Minister S P Singh Baghel, Tourism Minister Jayveer Singh, and Minister of State for Revenue Anoop Pradhan Balmiki. The BJP has fielded five new faces in this phase.

LS polls 2024: Stakes high for Kharge, BSY, NCP in Phase 3

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: The electoral fate of half-a-dozen Union ministers and two former chief ministers will be sealed on Wednesday in the third phase of the general elections is 93 constituencies in 11 states and Union territories. The BJP sees the third phase as one of consolidation as compared to the first two phases. Prominent among the heavyweight candidates in this phase are Union home minister Amit Shah in Gandhinagar, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia (Guna), former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh (Rajgarh), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar)s Supriya Sule (Baramati), and Adhir Ranjan Choudhary (Berhampur). In Uttar Pradesh, representatives of the Mulayam Singh Yadav clan are contesting in this phase Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri, Akshaya Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav, from Firozabad and Aditya Yadav, son of Shivpal Yadav, from Budaun. In Karnataka, the last of the 14 seats will go to polls in what is being seen as a high-stakes battle for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. For, most of the seats are in North Karnataka, which is regarded as his home turf. The elections are equally important for former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, whose son Vijayendra is the state BJP president. Prominent among those in the fray in Karnataka are former CMs Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and Jagadish Shettar (Belgaum), Union ministers Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and Bhagwant Khuba (Bidar), Yediyurappas son Raghavendra (Shivamogga), and Kharges son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani (Gulbarga SC). According to sources, around 30-40 constituencies in the third phase will witness triangular contests, giving sitting Lok Sabha members a really tough time. Most of the sitting MPs are from the ruling BJP. Phase 3 factoids 93 seats for which polling will be held in 11 states/UTs 1,300 candidates including around 120 women, in the fray 11 crore people eligible to vote Entire Gujarat and Goa, 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 in UP, 14 in Karnataka, 7 in Chhattisgarh, 5 in Bihar, 4 each in Assam and West Bengal to go to polls

Polling underway in 10 third-phase seats of Uttar Pradesh

Polling underway in 10 third-phase seats of Uttar Pradesh Polling began Tuesday morning for 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, including high-profile Mainpuri, in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Over 1.89 crore voters will seal the fate of 100 candidates in parliamentary constituencies of Sambhal, Hathras (SC), Agra (SC), Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Budaun, Aonla and Bareilly, where polling began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm, according to the Election Commission. It is an important phase for Uttar Pradesh's Yadav family. The Samajwadi Party's (SP) Dimple Yadav is aiming to retain the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, which she won in the bypolls following the death of her father-in-law and party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. Akshaya Yadav, the son of SP national principal general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, will try to reclaim the Firozabad seat. Aditya Yadav, the son of SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav, is making his electoral debut from the Budaun constituency, which was won by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav in 2014. Polling during the day will also seal the fate of Union minister S P Singh Baghel, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Jayveer Singh and its Minister of State for Revenue Anoop Pradhan Balmiki. Baghel, Jayveer Singh and Balmiki are contesting from Agra (SC), Mainpuri and Hathras (SC) Lok Sabha seats respectively. Rajveer Singh, the son of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BJP stalwart Kalyan Singh, is looking to score a hat-trick from Etah, which was represented in 2009 by his father as a candidate of the Jan Kranti Party. In Bareilly, the main contest has narrowed down to the BJP's Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar and the SP's Praveen Singh Aron after the nomination papers of BSP candidate Chhotey Lal Gangwar were rejected. In the third phase, the BJP has given tickets to five new faces -- Chhatrapal Gangwar from Bareilly, Durvijay Singh Shakya from Budaun, Anoop Pradhan Balmiki from Hathras, Vishwadeep Singh from Firozabad and Jayveer Singh from Mainpuri. The first four replaced Santosh Gangwar, Sanghamitra Maurya, Rajveer Singh Diler and Chandrasen Jadaun. Jayveer Singh is the sole candidate in this phase who replaced a losing candidate from the BJP. The BJP retained the winning candidates from Etah, Agra (SC), Aonla and Fatehpur Sikri. It also gave a ticket to Parameshwar Lal Saini from Sambhal Lok Sabha seat. The Congress has fielded Ramnath Singh Sikarwar from Fatehpur Sikri, while its INDIA bloc ally SP has fielded candidates in the remaining nine seats in this phase. Uttar Pradesh has 80 parliamentary constituencies, the largest number among all states. Polling in the state is spread across all seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.

LIVE: LS Polls 2024 PHASE 3 | Lot at stake for BJP in India's Super Tuesday

Lok Sabha elections 2024 is heating up with all indications being now that the contest is turning out to be closer than was initially expected. In the backdrop of this comes the third phase of voting on Tuesday covering 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories. The Surat Lok Sabha seat has already seen Mukesh Dalal of the BJP being elected unopposed in controversial circumstances. The constituencies that will be voting in the third phase include-- 25 seats in Gujarat, 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal and all two in Goa. The BJP particularly has a lot at stake since it had won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh in the last elections. In all, over 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. The fight for the 14 seats in Karnakata happens at a time when the flames of the Prajwal Revanna sex scandal are engulfing the JD(S) that had allied with the BJP. Among the star candidates whose fates will be sealed in the ballot boxes are Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). Follow live updates here. Campaigning ends for Gujarat LS polls: BJP aims to repeat sweep despite Cong-AAP alliance Election Commission officers check EVMs and VVPATs before their distribution to polling officials on the eve of the third phase of voting for Lok Sabha elections, in Sangli. In Karnataka, the fate of former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and the AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal (Dhubri) will be decided on Tuesday. In Uttar Pradesh, the current phase is important for the Mulayam Singh Yadav family, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav aiming to retain the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat. Dimple Yadav had won the seat in bypolls following the demise of her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav. Akshaya Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav, the national principal general secretary of SP, will try to reclaim the Firozabad seat, which he had won in 2014. Aditya Yadav, the son of SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav, is making his electoral debut from the Budaun Lok Sabha seat, which was represented by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav in 2014. Polling and security officials with EVMs and VVPATs cross the Brahmaputra river enroute to their polling station on the eve of the third phase of voting for Lok Sabha elections, at Goroimari in Kamrup dstrict. After the third phase, voting will be completed in 283 out of 543 seats in Lok Saba. PM Modi and Shah will cast their vote at booths in Ahmedabad city under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Counting of votes is on June 4. BJP won't cross 150 seats; INDIA bloc will foil its attempt to scrap Constitution: Rahul Gandhi Two former CMs and that fight in Baramati Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Vidisha) and Digvijaya Singh (Rajgarh) have returned to the Lok Sabha electoral fray this time. Another riveting contest will be in Maharashtra's Baramati between Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, wife of the veteran leader's estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Baramati LS constituency will witness what they have not seen in last several years. Blatant misuse of power, threat & use of money for vote was hardly seen in Baramati but in this Lok Sabha election, all unheard things are being used in large scale that no one can even imagine. Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) May 6, 2024 Election officials carry EVMs and other materials on a tractor to their respective polling booths on the eve of 3rd phase of voting for Lok Sabha elections, in Kamrup district. Phase III of Lok Sabha polls in UP puts Samajwadi Party to test in 'Yadav land'

Landmark Polling in 93 Lok Sabha Seats; Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah Set to Vote in Gandhinagar

Landmark Polling in 93 Lok Sabha Seats; Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah Set to Vote in Gandhinagar Voting will be held in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union Territories on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls, with stakes being high for the BJP which had won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, in the last election. Over 1,300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. Among the bigwigs are Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). With the BJP bagging Surat unopposed, 25 seats in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat will go to polls on May 7, besides 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 of the 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa. The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2 seats) and nine seats in Madhya Pradesh, including Betul where elections were deferred, will also go to polls on Tuesday. Over 11 crore people will be eligible to vote in this phase. PM Modi and Shah will cast their vote at booths in Ahmedabad city under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat. Former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Vidisha) and Digvijaya Singh (Rajgarh) have also returned to the Lok Sabha electoral fray this time. A riveting contest is on in Maharashtra's Baramati between Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, wife of the veteran leaders estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. In Uttar Pradesh, the current phase is important for the Mulayam Singh Yadav family, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav aiming to retain the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat. Dimple Yadav had won the seat in bypolls following the demise of her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav. Akshaya Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav, the national principal general secretary of SP, will try to reclaim the Firozabad seat, which he had won in 2014. Aditya Yadav, the son of SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav, is making his electoral debut from the Budaun Lok Sabha seat, which was represented by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav in 2014. The fate of former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and AIUDF Badruddin Ajmal (Dhubri) will also be decided on May 7. After the third phase, voting will be completed in 283 out of 543 seats in Lok Sabha. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4. In West Bengal, the four seats going to polls are Muslim-majority. The division of minority votes among the Left-Congress combine and the TMC and the narrative on the Citizenship Amendment Act could shape the outcome in the intense electoral battle in Maldaha Uttar, Maldaha Dakshin, Jangipur and Murshidabad. The Murshidabad and Jangipur Lok Sabha seats are held by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has renominated its sitting MPs Abu Taher and Bidi baron Khalilur Rehman respectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party has again fielded Khagen Murmu for the Malda Uttar seat against TMC candidate Prasun Banerjee and former Congress MLA Mostaque Alam. In the Malda Dakshin seat, the Congress has fielded Isha Khan Choudhury from the family of ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. The third phase saw the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA bloc fiercely attacking each other on issues like reservations and sexual harassment charges against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP charge, asking the Congress to give in writing that it will not hand over the quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes to Muslims. The Congress and its allies accused the BJP of trying to tamper with the Constitution and do away with reservations. The principal opposition party, which has promised to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations, also asked the BJP to clear its stance on the issue. The BJP leaders targeted the Congress over wealth redistribution and inheritance tax issues and accused it of pursuing appeasement politics, while the Congress reiterated its commitment to conduct a caste census and economic survey if voted to power. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had swept all these 14 seats in Karnataka, defeating Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and ruling the state then. Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have attacked the BJP over allegations of sexual abuse against Prajwal Revanna, Hassan MP and leader of the JD(S) - an ally of the BJP. Hitting back, BJP leader Amit Shah and others questioned why the Congress government in Karnataka delayed the action against Revanna. The JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year. Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and was the JD(S)-BJP alliance candidate from the Hassan seat which went to polls on April 26. Prajwal's father H D Revanna was arrested by Special Investigation Team on Saturday in a kidnapping case linked to sexual abuse allegations against Prajwal, soon after a court here rejected his anticipatory bail plea. In Gujarat, BJP's Mukesh Dalal has already won from Surat unopposed after the nomination of Congress' Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected over irregularities in the signature of proposers and other candidates withdrew. The party had swept all 26 seats in 2019. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP had bagged nine seats and Congress two seats out of the total 11 in 2019. In Assam, the BJP has put up only one candidate in this phase for the Guwahati seat, while its alliance partners AGP are contesting in two - Dhubri and Barpeta - and the UPPL in Kokrajhar. The Congress is fighting in all four seats. The constituencies going to the polls in the third phase in Bihar are Araria, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Madhepura and Khagaria, all currently held by the NDA.

Yadav family members in focus in third phase of Lok Sabha polls in UP

In the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, ten parliamentary constituencies will go to polls, drawing attention to several key candidates. Dimple Yadav seeks to retain the Mainpuri seat, while Akshaya Yadav aims to reclaim Firozabad. Aditya Yadav, son of SP's Shivpal Yadav, debuts in Budaun. Other notable contenders include Union Minister SP Singh Baghel, Kalyan Singh's son Rajveer Singh, and candidates from various parties like BJP and Congress.

The Great Khali holds roadshow for BJP candidate in Firozabad

The Great Khali holds roadshow for BJP candidate in Firozabad

SP, BJP locked in intense fight in six Yadav strongholds

LUCKNOW : With Yadav land being the main battleground in Uttar Pradesh in phase-III, the Samajwadi Party is leaving no stone unturned to save its citadel from saffron onslaught, while the BJP is also creating a furore through its big fighters. Mainpuri, Firozabad, Etah, Baduan, of Phase -III and Kannauj and Etawah, of next phase on May 13, are set for a fierce fight between the ruling party and the main opposition. Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav himself is commanding the fort in Kannauj against sitting BJP MP Subrat Pathak. While in Mainpuri, the SP chiefs wife Dimple Yadav is ready to carry Mulayam Singh Yadavs legacy forward by challenging state tourism minister and BJP candidate Jaiveer Singh who is a sitting MLA from Mainpuri assembly segment. Akshay Yadav, Akhileshs cousin and SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadavs son, is again trying his fate from Firozabad seat, another bastion of SP against Vishwadeep Singh. Akshay had lost the seat to BJPs Chandrasen Jadon in 2019. In Badaun, the SP has put its stake in Aditya Yadav, another cousin of Akhilesh and son of Shivpal Yadav. However, the BJP has reposed faith in a local RSS pracharak firebrand leader Durvijay Singh Shakya. On the remaining two seats of the Yadav land, SPs Devesh Shakya is challenging late Kaylan Singhs son and sitting BJP MP Rajveer Singh in Etah and Jitendra Dohre is challenging BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria in Etawah reserved seat. In the 2019 elections, of the six seats in the region, the BJP had bagged five Etah, Firozabad, Etawah, Badaun and Kannauj while the SP could win only Mainpuri. To repeat its 2019 performance, the BJP has launched an extensive campaign led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Yogi Adityanath. The BJP plans to pin down the SP in its stronghold by launching a hectic campaigns. The Yadav familys defeat will pave the way for consolidation of the BJP support base in the Yadav land, said a BJP leader. All the Yadav family members Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav, Dimple Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav are canvassing. While Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath have been targeting SP over dynastic politics and appeasement politics, Akhilesh Yadav is urging voters to exercise their franchise to dethrone the BJP and protect the Constitution. Shivpal Yadavs rebellion in 2019 weakened the SP in its stronghold. It could win just one seat in the elections. With Shivpal back in the family fold, the SP hopes to regain the lost ground. The OBCs, Dalits, Muslims and upper castes play a decisive role in deciding the fate of the candidates on the five seats. On the other, the BSP has made the contest triangular on the five seats by fielding Shiv Prasad Yadav from Mainpuri, Mohammad Irfan from Etah, Chaudhary Bashir from Firozabad, Sarika Singh Baghel from Etawah and Imran Bin Zafar from Kannauj.

Firozabad constituency of Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Election 2024: Date of voting, result, candidates list, main parties, schedule

Firozabad's glass bangle industry looks for revival this election

The upcoming Lok Sabha elections have infused a sense of urgency among stakeholders in the Rs 1,000 crore glass and bangle industry, which provides employment to five lakh people, including artisans. The fervent hope is that political representatives will take note of their plight and introduce meaningful interventions to revive the sector.

SP, Cong want to divide people

Accusing Congress and Samajwadi Party of wanting to change the Constitution of Dr B R Ambedkar, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the two parties were trying to divide the country on the basis of religion and caste. The CM stated this during a roadshow in Mainpuri and during public meetings in Etah and Firozabad, on Thursday. Through its manifesto, Congress is trying to change the Constitution to divide the country on the lines of religion. When making the Constitution in 1950, Babasaheb had said there can be no religion-based reservation. It cannot happen because this had become the reason for the countrys division. Congress has said they will cut a portion of the OBCS and SCs and give it to Muslims. Congress and SP are going against what Babasaheb had said. This is a conspiracy to damage the country, he said.

Schools will remain closed in these districts of UP on May 7, this is why the decision was taken

UP School closed News hindi: Schools will remain closed on May 7 in many districts of Uttar Pradesh including Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri. Instructions have already been issued to schools in this regard. However, after May 7, schools will open as scheduled. In such a situation, let us know why this decision [] The post Schools will remain closed in these districts of UP on May 7, this is why the decision was taken first appeared on informalnewz .

Mayawati: BSP government maintained law and order in UP without need for bulldozers

Mayawati: BSP government maintained law and order in UP without need for bulldozers Taking a dig at her political opponents over law and order in Uttar Pradesh, BSP supremo Mayawati Thursday claimed she did not require a bulldozer like the present BJP government to maintain rule of law in the state when she was in power. ''When the BSP was in power in Uttar Pradesh, we did not allow Hindu-Muslim riots to take place. Respect was given to all religious groups, their lives, properties and religious beliefs. ''Have you heard of riots taking place during my governments in Uttar Pradesh. Whichever party was in power here, be it the Samajwadi Party, the Congress or the present BJP, riots have taken place,'' the BSP president said, addressing an election rally at the Christian College ground here. Mayawati also said the BSP might spring a surprise to those who are alleging that the party has fielded candidates only to help others win or lose in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Speaking on the law and order issue, she said, ''Earlier during the festival time, be it of Hindus or Muslims, incidents used to take place, but not during my government.'' Mayawati also recalled how there was absolute peace in UP when the Ayodhya verdict was delivered by the high court during her government. ''Schools, colleges and offices were closed throughout the country barring UP and not even a small incident took place. We ensured the safety and security of the people belonging to all religions and castes as well as the safety of the lives and properties of all,'' she said. The Allahabad High Court verdict was pronounced on September 30, 2010 when Mayawati was the chief minister of the state. ''Whenever there were festivals, some incident used to take place but you have seen the law and order during my tenure. There was rule of law for which we did not require bulldozers like the present BJP government. We had established the rule of law through legal means,'' she added. The Yogi Adityanath government has faced flak for the use of bulldozers to raze the houses of the ''criminals'' in the state. Referring to the three candidates of her party in Mainpuri, Etah and Firozabad, she said they have been fielded ''not to help anyone win or lose but to win themselves with record votes''. ''The opponents are saying during their campaign here in Mainpuri that the BSP (candidate) will make others win or lose but will not win themselves. But the exact opposite might happen. Those who are saying this might themselves get the second or third spot,'' she asserted. The BSP president also reiterated that during the past few years, there have been exploitation and oppression in the garb of Hindutva because of feeling of hatred, specially with Muslims, which will be stopped when the BSP comes to power as she had done during her government in UP by paying attention to all sections of the society. If voted to power at the Centre, the BSP will do solid work like it did in UP during its government. Parties like the Congress and the BJP and its supporting parties have to be stopped from coming to power, she said. ''The wrong policies of these parties and their working styles have been tried by you. There is a vast difference between what they say and what they do. ''They are using every tactic to come back to power. The people have to remain alert,'' she said, adding that these parties should not be voted back to power in their own interest and in the interest of the state and the country. Mayawati sought the support for her party candidates -- Shiv Prasad Yadav from Mainpuri, Mohd Irfan from Etah and Chaudhary Bashir from Firozabad. Polling in Mainpuri, Etah and Firozabad is slated on May 7 in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Amit Shah Predicts 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra' as Conclusion of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra

Amit Shah Predicts 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra' as Conclusion of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday attacked Rahul Gandhi, suggesting that his party will get such a drubbing in election that he will have to take out a 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra' after June 4. Addressing an election rally in Bareilly, Shah alleged that Rahul, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and SP's Akhilesh Yadav did not attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya fearing this may alienate their vote bank. ''The 'shehzade' (prince) of 'ghamandia' INDI Alliance started his election campaign with Bharat Jodo Yatra but on June 4 (counting day), it will end with a 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra','' Shah said. ''In the first two phases, Congress is nowhere, while Narendra Modi has made a century and taken a lead in the '400 race' (race to 400 seats),'' he said. He said that this election is for ending terrorism and Naxalism and making India the third major economy globally. Shah hit out at the INDIA bloc partner Samajwadi Party, saying it indulges in dynastic politics, for its president Akhilesh Yadav has given tickets to five members of his family in the current election. He said that while Akhilesh is contesting from Kannauj and his wife Dimple Yadav is in fray from Mainpuri, Akshay Yadav, Aditya Yadav, and Dharmendra Yadav, all three his family members, are contenders from Firozabad, Budaun, and Azamgarh. ''Had he given a ticket to some Yadav youths, it would have been better,'' he said. Shah said that for the past 70 years, Congress had been stalling the Ram Temple construction, a task the BJP finished. ''When you made Modi PM for the second time, within five years, we won the case, did the groundbreaking, and performed the consecration ceremony of the temple on January 22. Samajwadi Party chief Akhliesh Yadav, Dimple, Rahul and Priyanka, all were invited by the temple trust but they did not attend the consecration ceremony because of the fear of their vote bank,'' Shah said. ''You all know who their vote bank is,'' he added. On revoking Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, he said, ''Congress president asks what do people of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have to do with Kashmir. He doesn't know that for Kashmir, every child of Bareilly can sacrifice his life In Kashmir, our tricolour is flying with pride.'' On the ''surgical strike'' after Pulwama attack, Shah said that under the past Congress governments, there was no reprisal for such acts and anyone could enter the country and do bomb blasts. ''We did a surgical strike inside Pakistan to get rid of terrorists.'' Shah claimed that Uttar Pradesh was riven with communal riots till 2017, when Yogi Adityanath came to power, made it riot-free, and stopped residents' exodus from western UP. ''In Yogi's regime, it is the hooligans who are migrating,'' he said. In Samajwadi Party's UP, factories forged country-made pistols, but now they manufacture tanks and missiles that will be fired on Pakistan, he said. Claiming that the Opposition's INDIA bloc is torn with internal differences, he said, ''Akhilesh wants to become a chief minister. Sonia ji wants his son (Rahul Gandhi) to become the prime minister. Those who are working to make their family members PM and CM, can they think of the poor's welfare?'' In Budaun, Shah referred to renovation and other work done on religious places by the Modi government. ''Be it 'Mahakal ka darbar', Kedarnath Dham, Badrinath Dham or covering with gold of Somnath temple, Modi made places of faith more energetic. Will SP, BSP and Congress do that?'' Shah said. Referring to Akhilesh and Rahul, he said when he stood up in Parliament to introduce the bill to abolish Article 370, ''do ladke'' stood against it and claimed the bill will lead to bloodshed in the valley. ''No one has the courage to pelt a stone there. At Lal Chowk, where no one could go a Krishna Janmashtami procession was taken out,'' Shah said on the post-Article 370 Kashmir. He said that the Congress government did not have courage to counter terrorism due to fear of erosion of its vote bank. Rahul's grandmother (Indira Gandhi) gave the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' but did nothing to see that it happens on the ground, he alleged. He said Rahul and Akhilesh called COVID vaccine ''Modi ki vaccine'' and ''did politics'' on it when the country was battling a pandemic. ''Akhilesh himself went in the night and took the vaccine with Dimple Bhabhi,'' he said. Bareilly and Budaun will go to poll in the third phase on May 7.

BJP's Mainpuri Candidate Accuses SP of Nepotism, Coining 'PDA' as 'Parivar Development Authority'

BJP's Mainpuri Candidate Accuses SP of Nepotism, Coining 'PDA' as 'Parivar Development Authority' Giving a unique twist to the PDA acronym coined by Akhilesh Yadav, BJPs candidate from the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat said it stands for 'Parivar Development Authority' as he attacked the Samajwadi Party over the issue of dynasty politics. Around 220 km from the state capital Lucknow, Mainpuri is a bastion of the SP with the party retaining the Lok Sabha seat for nearly three decades. Singh, who is the state tourism minister and sitting MLA from Mainpuri Sadar, is taking on SPs Dimple Yadav, the wife of party chief Akhilesh Yadav. He claimed that the people of Mainpuri were fed up with SPs PDA and would vote for the BJP this time. ''I am one hundred per cent sure that the BJP will win the seat this time. SP's PDA is 'Pariwar Development Authority' of Saifai (Yadav family's ancestral village) and there is no scope for others to be a part of it,'' Singh told PTI. Yadav's ''PDA formula'' refers to a combination of ''Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities)''. Earlier, it was said that the SP was a party of Yadavs but now, people have realised that it is only a Kunbe ki party or party of a clan, Singh said. He said every day hundreds of people from the SP are joining the BJP as they see no future in the party. ''They gave tickets to five of their family members in the Lok Sabha polls and ignored the backwards people are annoyed, he said, referring to the party giving tickets to Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh, Akshay Yadav from Firozabad, Aditya Yadav from Budaun, besides Dimple and Akhilesh contesting from Mainpuri and Kannauj. Singh said after the death of SP founder and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2022, his daughter-in-law was given the ticket from Mainpuri for the bypoll. Now, her daughter (Aditi Yadav) is there and Poonam Rawat (Dimple Yadav's sister) has also come. Those within the SP can see that they have no future and are demoralised. Thats why they are coming to the BJP,'' he said, adding the SP only promotes dynastic politics. Dimple Yadavs daughter can be seen canvassing for her in the constituency for the May 7 polls. He claimed that wherever he goes, he is getting tremendous responses as people feel that they can now vote freely. ''People here have seen hooliganism between 2012 and 2017 during the SP regime. Now all that has ended and change is inevitable. The welfare schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and good governance of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will have an impact on the election,'' he said. The BJP government has ensured a peaceful atmosphere in the state. The people know that they will witness development if they vote for the BJP, Singh said. Being a local BJP MLA, Singh is also relying on the work done by him in the past two years in the constituency. ''From my department alone, Rs 172 crore was released for development projects, including Rs 15 crore for Akhilesh Yadav's Karhal assembly constituency,'' the minister said. On Dimple Yadavs statement that she would carry forward the legacy of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Singh said the people of Mainpuri voted for her in the 2022 by-election to pay tributes to Netaji'. However, that is not the case anymore as the situation has changed and people trust the Modi-Yogi duo more,'' he said. For the BJP, conquering Mainpuri will be a major accomplishment after its takeover of the two former SP strongholds -- Azamgarh and Rampur -- in the 2022 by-elections. Following the results of the bypolls, the SPs tally of Lok Sabha MPs reached an all-time low of just three. Of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP bagged 62 and its ally Apna Dal got two in the 2019 general elections. The Congress managed just one seat, while the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party had forged an alliance. Mainpuri parliamentary constituency has five assembly segments -- Mainpuri, Bhogaon, Kishni, Karhal and Jaswant Nagar. In the 2022 assembly elections, the SP won the Karhal, Kishni and Jaswant Nagar seats, while the BJP won the Mainpuri and Bhogaon seats. The Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat has been with the SP since 1996 when Mulayam Singh Yadav first won from here. It was followed by Balram Singh Yadav's victories in 1998 and 1999. Mulayam Singh Yadav triumphed again in 2004, 2009 and 2014. The SP founder won the seat again in 2019. According to an estimate, Mainpuri has a majority of Yadav voters at around 3.5 lakh, besides over 1.5 lakh Thakurs, 1.2 lakh Brahmins, 60,000 Shakyas, 1.4 lakh Jatavs and over a lakh Lodhis. It also has around one lakh each of Muslim and Kurmi voters. The BSP of Mayawati has fielded Shiv Prasad Yadav from Mainpuri. The seat will go to polls in the third phase of the ongoing general elections on May 7.

UP battle shifts from Jat land to Yadav stronghold

LUCKNOW: The focus of Uttar Pradeshs political landscape is set to shift from the Jat belt to the Braj and Rohilkhand region, popularly called the Yadav land, where the fate of 10 key seats having an admixture of the Yadav-Muslim votes will be decided. At stake in Phase-III of the parliamentary polls on May 7 is he prestige of the Samajwadi Party (SP). In the first two phases, 16 western UP constituencies voted on April 19 and 26. In 2019, of the 10 seats of phase-III, the ruling BJP won eight and the main opposition SP, despite being in a formidable alliance with the BSP, could win just two. The 10 UP seats set to vote in Phase-III include Sambhal, Hathras, Etah, Aonla, Bareilly, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Mainpuri, Badaun and Firozabad. Three members of the Yadav clan are in the fray in the phase. While SP chief Akhilesh Yadavs wife Dimple is contesting from Mainpuri, his two cousins Aditya Yadav is from Badaun and Akshay Yadav from Firozabad. Although the 10 seats fall in the Yadav belt, the ruling BJP has performed exceptionally well since 2014. The BJP won seven of 10 seats restricting the SP to just three Mainpuri (Mulayam Singh Yadav), Badaun (Dharmendra Yadav) and Firozabad (Akshay Yadav). In 2019, the BJP clinched an added seat and won total eight of the 10 seats in this phase. SP won only in Mainpuri and Sambhal. The constituencies going to the polls in the third phase also have the Muslim-OBC combination that can influence the outcome. Patriarchs pocket borough Sambhal The constituency sent SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav to Lok Sabha twice in 1998 and 1999 and SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav in 2004. The BJP wrested it in 2014. While the BSP won the seat twice in 1996 and 2009, Congress last won it in 1984. This time, SP has reposed faith in veteran MP Shafiqur Rehman Barq who won the seat in 2019. However, even before the commencement of poll process, Barq, 92, assed away. Consequently, SP fielded his grandson Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, the party MLA from Kundarki in Moradabad. The BJP has reposed faith in an OBC Parmeshwar Lal Saini. The BSP makes the contest triangular, fielding Shaulat Ali. Saffron citadel named Hathras A reserved seat, Hathras is considered a BJP bastion since 1991. In 2009, the RLD won it as a pre-poll BJP ally. The Congress last won it in 1971. In 2019, despite the infamous gangrape and murder case that created widespread uproar, BJPs Rajvir Singh Diler defeated SPs Ramji Lal Suman. This time, BJP has replaced the MP with Anoop Valmiki, partys MLA, while SP and BSP have given ticket to Jasveer Valmiki and Hembabu Dhangar, respectively. Diler died of heart attack last week. Caste lines are sharp in rural areas. Over 3 years after a Dalit woman was allegedly gangraped, and died 11 days later in 2020, voters in her village are divided. Mostly, Mulayams Mainpuri A Yadav stronghold, the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat has been with the family of Mulayam Singh Yadav since 1996. Mulayam represented it five times in Lok Sabha. The SP has won the seat since 1996. The Congress last won here in 1984. In 2019, Mulayam Singh Yadav won by defeating BJPs Prem Singh Shakya. In 2024, BJPs Jaiveer Singh is challenging SPs Dimple Yadav. Dr Gulshan Dev Shakya is BSP candidate. A debut in Budaun; will it matter? After flip-flops, the Samajwadi party finally fielded Aditya Yadav, son of SP lead Shivpal Yadav. It is Adtiyas electoral debut. Initially SP had named Dharmendra Yadav from the seat but replaced him with Shivpal who wanted the ticket for his son and the party finally succumbed to his demand. Budaun seat has been with SP continuously from 1996 to 2014. The BJP wrested it in 2019. Firozabads fragile loyalty The city of glass, Firozabad is another SP citadel which the party lost to the BJP in 2019. This seat elected SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in 2009 and his cousin Akshay Yadav in 2014. The Congresss Raj Babbar defeated SPs Dimple Yadav in a by-poll in 2009. For 2024, the BJP has announced Vishwadeep Singh as its candidate while the SP has repeated Akshay Yadav, son of SP veteran Ram Gopal Yadav. Its Etah, hub of Hindutva The BJP has been winning here since 1989 representing it in Lok Sabah for six times. In between, the SP won this seat twice. In 2009, Kalyan Singh won as an independent supported by the SP. BJPs Rajveer Singh, son of Kalyan Singh, won this seat in 2014 and 2019. The party has made him its candidate again in 2024. Davesh Shakya is SP candidate. Advantage none in Aonla The BJP has won Aonla seat six times since 1989 and three times since 2009. The SP has won twice. The Congress won last in 1984. Dharmendra Kashyap (BJP), Neeraj Maurya (SP) and Abid Ali (BSP) and main contestants. The third phase is also crucial for the SP because three of the five members from the Yadav family are candidates in this phase. They are Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri, Akshay Yadav from Firozabad and Aditya Yadav from Budaun. The fate of Fatehpur Sikri A perennial water shortage and turmoil in the countrys northwest is thought to have been the key reason for the citys abandonment. After Akbar moved the imperial capital from Fatehpur Sikri to Lahore, and then to Agra, the city was abandoned by 1610. Fast-forward to 2024, the BJP won this seat twice in 2014 and 2019. Before that in 2009, the seat was with the BSP. In 2019, the BJPs Raj Kumar Chahar won it, defeating Congress Raj Babbar. Chahar polled 64.23% votes. The BJP has retained Chahar and the Congress has fielded Ramnath Sikarwar as the INDIA candidate while the BSP has fielded a Brahmin candidate Ram Niwas Sharma. Dalits take centre stage in Agra Known as the Dalit capital of UP with Dalits comprising 21% of the electorate, the BJP has won this reserved seat for five terms since 1991 and thrice in a row since 2009. This time, BJP MP Prof SP Singh Baghel, who won it in 2019, seeks another term. The SP has fielded Suresh Chandra Kardan while the BSP has fielded Pooja Amrohi. Politics and history intertwine with Dalit influence here. Recent events amplified the pivotal role of Dalit voters. Pooja Amrohis candidacy challenges the grassroots engagement. There are 20.57 lakh voters, with nearly three-fourths of them Jatav Dalits, who appear to be with the BSP, despite despair over its declining performance.

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A glimpse of the glass-making industry in the Uttar Pradesh town

Phase III of Lok Sabha polls in UP puts Samajwadi Party to test in 'Yadav land'

LUCKNOW: As Uttar Pradesh gears up for third phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on May 7, all eyes are on the Braj and Rohilkhand regions, commonly dubbed the 'Yadav land.' Here, 10 key seats featuring a fascinating Yadav-Muslim dynamic will undergo scrutiny, posing a significant test to the Samajwadi Party's reputation and influence. The general elections in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted across all seven phases, with the first and second phases being held for 16 seats in the 'Jat belt' of Western UP on April 19 and April 26, respectively. In the 2019 elections, out of the 10 seats contested in phase III, the ruling BJP secured victory in eight, while the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP), despite forming a formidable alliance with arch-rival Bhaujan Samaj Party (BSP), managed to win only two seats. This time, the SP has forged an alliance with the Congress under the Opposition's INDIA bloc. Conversely, the BSP has opted for a solo approach, setting the stage for a three-way showdown against the BJP-led NDA, echoing the political dynamics of the 2019 elections. The upcoming Phase III of voting will be pivotal for the SP, with 10 crucial seats up for contention. These include Sambhal, Hathras, Etah, Aonla, Bareilly, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Mainpuri, Badaun, and Firozabad. Significantly, three members of the Yadav family are participating in this phase of the elections. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife, Dimple, is contesting from Mainpuri, while his two cousins, Aditya Yadav from Badaun and Akshay Yadav from Firozabad, are also in the fray. Although the seats going to the polls in phase III fall under the Yadav belt, the ruling saffron brigade has been performing exceptionally well here since 2014. The BJP had won seven of 10 seats, restricting the SP to just three: Mainpuri (Mulayam Singh Yadav), Badaun (Dharmendra Yadav) and Firozabad (Akshay Yadav) in the 2014 general elections. In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured an additional seat, bringing their total to eight out of the 10 seats in this phase. Meanwhile, the SP retained Mainpuri and emerged victorious in Sambhal. The seats going to the polls in the third phase have the Muslim-OBC combination as the dominant force influencing the outcome across various constituencies. In constituencies such as Etah, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Badaun, and Sambhal, Yadav voters form a significant and influential bloc. Conversely, Muslim voters play a decisive role in Sambhal, Aonla, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, and Firozabad, comprising 6 percent to 13 percent of the population, except in Bareilly, where the Muslim population exceeds 33 percent. Likewise, in Etah, a stronghold of former UP CM Kalyan Singh, non-Yadav communities, particularly the Lodhs, emerge as a significant and decisive force. In other constituencies, the Kachhi, Shakya and Murao communities hold sway, shaping the electoral landscape. Lok Sabha polls 2024: How to crack UPs reserved seat puzzle Uttar Pradesh: RLD onboard, BJP looks for dominance SEAT-WISE DYNAMICS Sambhal Sambhal, considered to be the Yadav pocket borough as it has sent SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav to Lok Sabha twice in 1998 and 1999 and SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav in 2004, the BJP wrested the seat in 2014. While the BSP won the seat twice, in 1996 and 2009, the Congress last won it in 1984. In 2024, the SP had reposed faith in its sitting veteran MP Shafiqur Rehman Barq who had won the seat in 2019. However, even before the commencement of the poll process, Barq, 92, passed away after a prolonged illness. Consequently, SP fielded his grandson Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, the sitting SP MLA from Kundarki in Moradabad. The BJP has reposed faith in an OBC candidate Parmeshwar Lal Saini, who contested against Barq in 2019, to reclaim the seat, while the BSP has made the contest triangular by fielding a Muslim candidate Shaulat Ali. Hathras (Sc) Hathras, a reserved seat considered a BJP bastion since 1991, has been an impregnable fort for the SP and BSP, who have never registered a victory here. In 2009, the RLD won this seat as a pre-poll ally of the BJP, while the Congress last won here in 1971. In 2019, despite the horrific gangrape and murder case that had created widespread uproar, the BJP's Rajvir Singh Diler defeated the SP's Ramji Lal Suman. Diler died of heart attack last week. In 2024, the BJP replaced the sitting MP with Anoop Valmiki, the party's sitting MLA, while the SP and BSP have given the ticket to Jasveer Valmiki and Hembabu Dhangar, respectively. Agra (Sc) Agra, known as the Dalit capital of the state, has nearly 21 percent of its electorate comprised of Dalits. The BJP has won this reserved seat five times since 1991 and thrice in a row since 2009. It has retained sitting MP Professor SP Singh Baghel for 2024, who had won the seat for the first time in 2019. The Samajwadi Party has fielded Suresh Chandra Kardan, while the BSP has fielded Pooja Amrohi. Fatehpur Sikri The BJP won this seat twice, in 2014 and 2019. Before that, in 2009, the seat was with the BSP. In 2019, the BJP's Raj Kumar Chahar won this seat, defeating the Congress's Raj Babbar. The BJP has retained Raj Kumar Chahar and the Congress has fielded Ramnath Sikarwar as the INDIA bloc candidate, while the BSP has fielded Brahmin candidate Ram Niwas Sharma, making the contest interesting. Mainpuri The Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party, has remained under the control of Mulayam Singh Yadav's family since 1996. The SP patriarch himself represented it five times in the Lok Sabha, while the Congress last won here in 1984. In 2019, Mulayam Singh Yadav won by defeating the BJP's Prem Singh Shakya. Following his demise in 2022, Dimple Yadav, the wife of Akhliesh Yadav, won the seat in a by-poll. In 2024, the BJP's Jaiveer Singh is challenging Dimple Yadav, while Gulshan Dev Shakya is the BSP candidate. Budaun After a few flip-flops , the Samajwadi Party finally fielded Aditya Yadav, the son of party leader Shivpal Yadav. It is Adtiyas electoral debut. Initially, the SP had named Dharmendra Yadav for the seat but replaced him with Shivpal, who wanted the ticket for his son and the party finally succumbed to his demand. Budaun seat has been with SP continuously from 1996 to 2014. It was wrested by the BJP in 2019. This time, BJP has replaced the sitting MP Sanghmitra Maurya with Durvijay Shakya. Firozabad Known as the city of glass, Firozabad is another citadel of the Samajwadi Party. However, it lost to the BJP in 2019. This seat elected SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in 2009 and his cousin Akshay Yadav in 2014. The Congress's Raj Babbar defeated Akhilesh's wife, Dimple Yadav, in the 2009 by-poll. In 2024, the BJP has announced Vishwadeep Singh as its candidate, while the SP has repeated Akshay Yadav, son of SP veteran Ram Gopal Yadav. Etah The BJP has been winning here since 1989, while the SP won it twice, in between, in the 1999 and 2004 elections. In 2009, former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh won as an independent, supported by the SP, while the BJP's Rajveer Singh, the son of Kalyan, won this seat in 2014 and 2019. The party has retained Rajveer as its candidate again in 2024, while Davesh Shakya is the candidate for SP. Bareilly In Bareilly, the BJP has replaced its eight-time MP and former Union Minister Santosh Gangwar, who continuously won the seat from 1989 till 2019, barring 2009 when then Congress leader Praveen Aron, now with the Samajwadi Party, defeated him by a thin margin. This time, the BJP has replaced him with Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar, who will take on Aron. The BSP got a jolt when the nomination of its candidate, Chhote Lal Gangwar, was rejected in Bareilly. Anola The BJP has won this seat six times since 1989 and three times since 2009. The SP has won the seat twice, while the Congress last won it in 1984. Dharmendra Kashyap of the BJP, Neeraj Maurya of SP and BSP's Abid Ali are the main contestants. Phase III: The key numbers Total Seats: 10 Date of Poll: May 7 Total Districts covered: 12 Total voters: 1.89 crore Male voters: 1.01 crore Female voters: 87.48 lakh Third gender voters: 752 Total polling centres: 12,339 Total Polling booths: 20,415 Mixed feelings for Gandhis in UPs rice bowl Meerut: Battle of perception with Ram chant in land of revolution

Seizures Worth Rs 33,000 Crore in UP During Election Period

Lucknow: Law enforcement agencies in Uttar Pradesh have intensified their crackdown on illegal activities like the distribution of cash and liquor to ensure free, fair, and peaceful Lok Sabha elections in compliance with the instructions of the State Election Commission. According to the Election Commission, from March 1 to April 28, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and cash worth Rs 32,977.30 lakh (Rs 329.773 crore) were confiscated in the state. On April 28 alone, seizures amounted to liquor, drugs, and cash worth Rs 182.07 lakh across the state. Ten parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled to go to polls in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 7. These constituencies include Agra, Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Bareilly, Fatehpur Sikri, Alona, Mainpuri, Sambhal, and Badaun. Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa stated, Stringent enforcement of the model code of conduct in the state aims to ensure a fair, inclusive, and secure electoral process free from inducements. He further added, From March 1 to April 28, a concerted effort by various enforcement agencies, including Excise, Income Tax, Police, and Narcotics Department, led to the confiscation of items valued at a total of Rs 32,977.30 lakh. Rinwa provided a breakdown of the seized items, which included Rs 3,211.02 lakh in cash, liquor worth Rs 4,583.70 lakh, drugs worth Rs 21,850.88 lakh, precious metals worth Rs 2,175.30 lakh, and other miscellaneous items totaling Rs 1,156.39 lakh. On April 28, enforcement agencies seized liquor, drugs, and cash worth Rs 182.07 lakh. This included Rs 4.39 lakh in cash, 18,989.75 liters of liquor worth Rs 51.58 lakh, 441,702.58 grams of drugs worth Rs 112.38 lakh, and 5,916 grams of precious metals worth Rs 13.72 lakh. On the same day, authorities seized 361.70 kg of drugs valued at approximately Rs 90.42 lakh in the Phulpur assembly constituency of Prayagraj. Additionally, 5,916 grams of drugs worth around Rs 13.71 lakh were confiscated in the Agra South assembly constituency. Tragedy Strikes as Dam Burst Claims Dozens of Lives in Southern Kenya Congress Authorizes Mallikarjun Kharge to Decide Candidates for Amethi, Raebareli Congress Fields Top Leaders in Punjab for Lok Sabha Polls

Lok Sabha elections: Drugs, liquor, cash worth Rs 329 crore seized in Uttar Pradesh

Lok Sabha elections: Drugs, liquor, cash worth Rs 329 crore seized in Uttar Pradesh In compliance with the instructions of the State Election Commission to ensure free, fair and peaceful Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, the law enforcement agencies have intensified the crackdown on illegal activities such as distribution of cash and liquor in the state. Subsequently, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and cash worth Rs 32,977.30 lakh (Rs 329.773 crore) were confiscated in the state from March 1 to April 28, the Election Commission said on Monday. On April 28 alone, liquor, drugs, and cash worth Rs 182.07 lakh were seized across the state, it added. 10 parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held on May 7. The list includes Agra, Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Bareilly, Fatehpur Sikri, Alona, Mainpuri, Sambhal, and Badaun. Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer, Navdeep Rinwa said, The stringent enforcement of the model code of conduct in the state aims to ensure a fair, inclusive, and secure electoral process free from inducements. From March 1 to April 28, a concerted effort by various enforcement agencies--including Excise, Income Tax, Police, and Narcotics Department--led to the confiscation of items valued at a total of Rs 32,977.30 lakh. This seizure included Rs 3,211.02 lakh in cash, liquor worth Rs 4,583.70 lakh, and significant quantities of drugs worth Rs 21,850.88 lakh, alongside valuable metals worth Rs 2,175.30 lakh and other miscellaneous items totalling Rs 1,156.39 lakh, he said. On April 28, Excise, Income Tax, Police, Narcotics Department, and other enforcement agencies seized a total of Rs 182.07 lakh worth of liquor, drugs, and cash, he said, adding that this included Rs 4.39 lakh of cash, 18989.75 litres of liquor worth Rs 51.58 lakh, 441702.58 grams of drugs worth Rs 112.38 lakh, and 5916 grams of precious metals worth Rs 13.72 lakh. On April 28, authorities seized 361,700 grams (361.70 kg) of drugs valued at approximately Rs 90.42 lakh in the Phulpur assembly constituency of Prayagraj. Additionally, 5,916 grams of drugs worth around Rs 13.71 lakh were confiscated in the Agra South assembly constituency, he added. (ANI)

BJP's '400 Seats' Promise Backfired, Party Set to Lose in Phase 3 Elections: Akhilesh Yadav

BJP's '400 Seats' Promise Backfired, Party Set to Lose in Phase 3 Elections: Akhilesh Yadav Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed the BJP will not win any seat in the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls and that the ruling party misunderstood the direction of the wind when it made its slogan of 400 paar. Addressing a rally in Sambhal, Yadav also said the Samajwadi Party had an advantage in the third phase, saying that elections on May 7 will be held between Sambhal and his home in Etawah and Mainpuri. ''BJP people did not know the direction of the wind, so they kept saying 400 paar (winning over 400 seats) and when they realised the public sentiment after the two phases of the election, BJP forgot its slogan, the former UP chief minister said. ''The wind that came from the west (western UP) in the first phase will change the BJP government. The similar trend was seen in the second phase also. People are not accepting the BJP, the SP chief said. It is now your responsibility in the third phase, he added to those gathered for the rally taken out in support of party candidate Zia ur Rahman Barq. ''These elections are being held from this part till our home. Netaji (SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav) has also been an MP from this area (Sambhal). Voting is going to take place from here to Mainpuri. I can say that the BJP is not going to open its account in any Lok Sabha seat here, Yadav said. Mulayam Singh, an ex-CM and the SP chief's father, was elected an MP from Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency twice in 1998 and 1999. ''Next to you, Samajwadi Party is winning in Rampur and Moradabad and if all the Lok Sabha seats nearby are winning, then will the people of Sambhal be left behind?'' ''When the seats where BJP lost with the highest number of votes are counted, the name of Sambhal Lok Sabha should be included in that count also, he further urged the voters. Yadav also said the election in Sambhal are an opportunity to pay tribute to party MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq, who was declared as the SP candidate but died earlier this year. We gave the ticket to the very popular Shafiqur Rahman Barq Saheb but he is no longer with us. This is an opportunity to pay tribute to him He always stood for the rights of his people, he said. The SP chief also said that the Lok Sabha polls are a fight between those that want to abolish the Constitution and the INDIA bloc and the socialists who want to protect the Constitution. ''Bharatiya Janata Party is conspiring to abolish the Constitution and take away our and your right to vote. So this is an election to save the Constitution and our rights, he said. Those who are out to change the Constitution will be changed by the public, the SP leader said. Asserting that the BJP insulted the farmers, Yadav said, ''The INDIA alliance government will waive off the loans of farmers. We will provide facilities to farmers.We will guarantee MSP for crops. He added that the BJP betrayed the youth just like the farmers. It was promised to provide two crore jobs every year to the youth. Ever since BJP came to government, papers of every recruitment exam are being leaked, the SP leader said. Yadav said that the BJP government has ''abolished permanent recruitment in the Army'' and ''introduced the Agniveer scheme and made it a four-year job''. Yadav said he was worried that under the current government, even policemen may be asked to serve for only three years like the Agniveer. In Uttar Pradesh, voting took place on eight seats in the first phase on April 19 and eight seats in the second phase on April 26, and most of these seats were in Western Uttar Pradesh. In the third phase, voting will be held on 10 seats in Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Amla and Bareilly on May 7. Voting is scheduled to be held in all seven phases on 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

LS Polls: SP candidate Akshay Yadav confident of win, says one-sided contest in Firozabad

The News Mill

Opposition Slams Adityanath Over Starvation and Biryani Remarks

Opposition Slams Adityanath Over Starvation and Biryani Remarks Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said the ''poor were victims of starvation'' and the ''terrorists were fed biryani'' when they were in power. The chief minister addressed separate election rallies in Sikandrarau for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Anup Pradhan from Hathras seat and Firozabad constituency candidate Thakur Vishwadeep Singh. ''The poor, farmers, women and youth were not in the agenda of the SP (Samajwadi Party), Congress and BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party). They only did vote bank politics, they committed the sin of dividing the caste and society,'' Adityanath said in Hathras. ''During their (opposition governments) time, the poor were victims of starvation and the terrorists were fed biryani. The farmers used to commit suicide and the corrupt people used to enjoy life of luxury, he added. Adityanath said the ''mafia used to wield power as patrons'', but work is being done today in the country and the state ''without any discrimination''. He claimed that more work was done under the BJP rule than what was done by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP. Even in the meeting in Firozabad, the chief minister hit out at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party stating these people want to give permission for cow slaughter on the land of Ram and Krishna. Taking aim at the Congress, Adityanath said the people of 'Discovery of India' think that Ram and Krishna never existed. He said that on one hand the Modi government is giving free ration to 80 crore people of the country, on the other hand even the ration of even the poorest of the poor was wasted during the Congress rule. ''After Kashi and Ayodhya, we have moved towards Mathura,'' Adityanath said. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, he asked whether they have ever done anything for the development of Braj region. Taking potshots at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Adityanath said that these people did not think anything outside their family and keep defaming caste in the name of nepotism. His sympathy is not with the poor but with the mafia, he added. Voting will be held in the third phase in Hathras and Firozabad on May 7.

Question existence of those who questioned existence of Lord Ram: CM Yogi's appeal to people

Question existence of those who questioned existence of Lord Ram: CM Yogi's appeal to people Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday appealed to the public to question the existence of those who had once questioned the existence of Lord Ram. In the public meeting organized at Tilak Inter College in Firozabad on Saturday, he not only enumerated the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government but also attacked Congress and the Samajwadi Party. He said, 272 seats are required to form the government, but whether it is SP or Congress, they are not fighting on that many seats alone. Congress says that Ram did not exist. That means India did not exist before this. People should question the existence of those who question the existence of Ram and Krishna. Enumerating the works of his party, he said, Highways, and expressways are being built in the country, and railway and metro facilities have increased. IIMs, IITs, AIIMS were also formed. There was a time when the Firozabad product was on the verge of closure. Central and state officials used to harass local artisans. As soon as we came to power, we dealt with it strictly. Today, One District, One Product of Uttar Pradesh is popular in the entire country. CM Yogi accused the Congress of taking away the ration but, today 80 crore people are getting ration. He said, SP had tried to withdraw the cases of terrorists who attacked Ayodhya, Sankat Mochan Mandir, judiciary, CRPF Camp Rampur. The court had to intervene. He asked the public whether they would vote for SP which is playing with the people and security system of the country? He further said, Ayushman Bharat cover is given to 60 crore people, Jan Dhan account of 50 crore people, who do not have treatment facility, they wrote me a letter and I make sure that they get the money in their bank accounts. CM Yogi claimed that the houses of the poor now had toilets. 10 crore poor people got free cylinders. It has been asked to provide free cylinders during Holi and Diwali. Electricity for 2.5 crore houses, houses for 4 crores. Did we see anyone's caste or religion? That's why the slogan of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas was given. This is the concept of Ramrajya, said Yogi. Referring to the discussion on inheritance tax, he said Congress divided the country in 1947. Now they are saying that they will get every person's property surveyed and take half. Your forefathers did the hard work and will distribute it to those, Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. People by whom the population is being increased. They are playing with India's security. The rights of backward and scheduled castes will be robbed and SP will support them. Congress says that it will implement the personal laws of minorities. We have to see their intentions. Before their plans can succeed, they have to be brought to the right place with the power of votes. BJP removed Article 370 and has put the last nail in the coffin of terrorism. Will enforce UCC also when coming back in power, added Yogi. BJP has fielded Thakur Vishwadeep Singh as its candidate for the constituency while SP has filed Akshay Yadav. Polling in the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat is slated to be held in the third phase of general elections on May 7. (ANI)

Cattle Menace: A Pressing Issue for Farmers in Western Uttar Pradesh

Cattle Menace: A Pressing Issue for Farmers in Western Uttar Pradesh ''When I come to work in the fields in the morning, stray cattle are standing there, ready to attack. I was once hit on the back and was hospitalised for a week,'' says Keshav Kumar, a farm worker in Pilkhana village in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. Besides, he said, he has been chased by cows and Nilgai multiple times. Dharmendra Singh, a farmer, in Firozabad's Akilabad village, says, ''I lost 30 per cent of my produce due to stray cattle entering my field. There is drought, unseasonal rain and now this stray cattle menace. What are we supposed to do?'' Instances like these are not uncommon in western Uttar Pradesh and encapsulate the stray cattle menace that farmers have been struggling with for several years now. The problem, exacerbated by recent policy changes, has emerged as a major issue in western Uttar Pradesh in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The importance of the issue can be gauged from the fact that it is the sole deciding factor for some. ''I voted for 'phool' (referring to the BJP's party symbol lotus) in the last two general elections thinking that this problem would be solved. As the problem remained unresolved, I didn't vote for them in the assembly polls and plan to vote for the SP this time,'' Kumar said. In villages across western Uttar Pradesh, the sight of emaciated stray cattle roaming around has become all too common and so is the sight of destroyed crops. When they can't enter fields, many cows feed on plastic and garbage. Farmers are also upset over the state government's decision to reinforce an old order that no barbed wires should be used to fence fields. Now, most farmers use plain wires or saris and dupattas to fence fields. ''They are of no use. We don't understand why the government cannot understand our losses,'' said Akilabad farmer Singh. According to the 2019 Livestock Census, there are over 1.90 crore cattle in Uttar Pradesh, including 62,04,304 milch cows and 23,36,151 dry cows. The indigenous female cattle population increased by 10 per cent in 2019 compared to the previous census in 2012. The population of exotic and cross-bred cattle increased by 26.9 per cent from 2012 to 2019. The stray cattle menace has also added to farmers' economic woes as they do not know what to do with cows that have stopped giving milk. ''Earlier, we would give the old cow in exchange for 10-20 per cent of the down payment and get a new one. But with the new policy, even that is not possible. We have no option but to either sell them illegally or abandon them,'' said a farmer who did not wish to be named. In May 2017, the Centre banned the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets across the country. The environment ministry notified the stringent 'Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017' under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Every village in western Uttar Pradesh has a cow shelter but they are at capacity.

SP names nephew from Kannauj, 5 Yadav family members in fray

LUCKNOW: Putting a lid on the possibility of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav contesting the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, the party on Monday announced the name of his nephew Tej Pratap Yadav as the party candidate from Kannauj. With the announcement of Tej Prataps name, now five members of Yadav family are in fray Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri, Akshaya Yadav from Firozabad, Aditya Yadav from Badaun and Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh. Initially, Akhilesh had shown an inclination to contest from the seat but after his run-in with jailed SP leader Azam Khan over Rampur Lok Sabha seat, the SP chief withdrew himself from the contest from any seat in the state. During Akhileshs meeting with Azam Khan in Sitapur jail on March 22, the latter had suggested the SP chief to contest from Rampur but Akhilesh did not agree to it and announced that he would not contest the Lok Sabha polls at all. However, after the twists and turns that followed, the party fielded Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi from the Rampur. The other factor that played out for SP chief to decide against contesting the LS polls was that it would have got him engaged in his own campaign restricting him from canvassing for the party candidates across the state. The ground reports from the eight constituencies of the first phase strongly suggest that INDIA bloc is on a sound footing. Consequently, it was decided that the SP chief leading the party campaign across the state would be a better option, said a senior party leader. Earlier, Tej Pratap had contested 2014 Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll at 26 after SMulayam Singh Yadav vacated the seat. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he had headed Mulayams election campaign in Mainpuri. In 2022 assembly polls, he led Akhileshs campaign in Karhal.

BJP's Firozabad candidate ages 15 years in a decade, sparks outcry

BJPs Firozabad candidate ages years in a decade sparks outcry

Voting in third phase in UP: Nomination papers of 104 candidates found valid, 78 papers rejected

Voting in third phase in UP: Nomination papers of 104 candidates found valid, 78 papers rejected The nomination papers of 104 candidates were found valid during scrutiny on Saturday, while the nomination papers of 78 candidates were rejected for the elections to be held in 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in the third phase in Uttar Pradesh, a senior official of the Election Commission said. The nomination papers of BSP candidate Chhotalal Gangwar was rejected as it was incomplete. In the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, the process of filing nomination papers for 10 seats Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Budaun, Amla and Bareilly began from April 12 and the scrutiny of nomination papers took place on Saturday. The date for withdrawal of nomination papers has been fixed on April 22 and voting in these seats will be held on May 7. Returning Officer of Bareilly Lok Sabha constituency Ravindra Kumar said that the nomination papers of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Master Chhote Lal Gangwar was rejected during the scrutiny because it was incomplete. In the third phase, a number of prominent candidates, including Union Minister and BJP candidate SP Baghel from Agra and Samajwadi Party candidate Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri, are trying their luck. Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said that in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections-2024, a total of 182 candidates filed nominations for 10 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state. He said that the nominations of 104 candidates were found valid and the nomination papers of 78 candidates were rejected during the scrutiny of nomination papers on April 20. The CEO said that 21 candidates filed their nomination papers for Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency, out of which the nomination papers of eight candidates were rejected and the nomination papers of 13 candidates were found valid. A total of 18 candidates filed the nominations for Hathras (SC) constituency, out of which eight were rejected and the nomination papers of 10 were found valid. In Agra (SC), the nomination papers of all 11 candidates were found valid, whereas for Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha constituency, the nomination papers of 9 out of 19 candidates were rejected and the nomination papers of 10 were found valid. In Firozabad, out of total 22 candidates, the nomination papers of 15 candidates were rejected and the nomination papers of seven candidates were found valid. A total of 12 candidates filed nominations in Mainpuri, out of which the nomination papers of four candidates were rejected and the nomination papers of eight were found valid. In Etah, out of the total nominations of 14 candidates, the nomination papers of four were rejected and those of 10 candidates were found valid. Out of a total 16 candidates in Budaun, the nomination papers of four candidates were rejected and the nomination papers of 12 candidates were found valid. In Aonla Lok Sabha constituency, out of 21 candidates, the nomination papers of 12 candidates were rejected and nine were found valid. An official said that a person named Satyaveer had filed his nomination papers as a BSP candidate from Aonla Lok Sabha seat in Bareilly district, but his nomination papers were rejected as he was not the candidate authorised by the party.

Asaduddin Owaisi's Uttar Pradesh gambit and why it has left the BJP chuckling in delight

The year was 2015. For Sanjarpur, a small village in Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh, an offer for its adoption by a political leader could well have helped it shun the image of being a error nursery after its two residents, both Indian Mujahideen operatives, were eliminated in Delhis Batla House encounter in 2008. However, the fact that the offer came from the All India Majlis Ittehadul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi from distant Hyderabad made the village people realise quickly that it was nothing more than an attempt by him to win over Muslims in UP. Owaisi, also an MP from Hyderabad in Telangana, reportedly applied to the government for adopting the village under the Sansaad Adarsh Gram Yojna, but nothing further is known of the fate of that application. Hyderabad: Despite anti-incumbency, Owaisi is frontrunner The Owaisi initiative caused sleepless nights for Samajwadi Party leader and the then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who was into the third year of his term: his comfort zone of the Muslim-Yadav (MY) support was jolted. Long confined to his state, Owaisi had turned to UP (and subsequently Bihar) in the same year. He visited Lucknow during the month of Ramzan (corresponding to July) in 2014 and met, among others, Maulana Saeed Athar Qasmi of the Tehreek Umar Society, an outfit ostensibly dedicated to welfare projects for the Muslims. Qasmi was entrusted with the task of strengthening the membership drive and Mohammad Shaukat Ali of Azamgarh was made the party convenor in the state. In the following year, Owaisi visited the state in January, April and July and brothers Asaduddin and Akbaruddin established a line of contact with the community through a couple of local Muslim leaders in Lucknow and Azamgarh. A rattled Akhilesh Yadav did what he could to check Owaisi's inroads and denied him permission to hold a public meeting in the state as long as he remained the Chief Minister. As per Owaisis own claims, made in a rally in Azamgarh on January 12, 2021, Akhilesh had stopped him from visiting UP 12 times. PDM versus PDA A lot has changed since then. For the 2024 election, Owaisi's party is in alliance with Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), besides two smaller outfits Pragatisheel Manav Samaj Party and Rashtriya Uday Party. The alliance thus formed is named PDM, standing for Pichhdaa (backward), Dalit and Muslim. It came into being after Pallavi Patel's party separated from the INDIA bloc after its demand to be handed the Mirzapur, Phulpur and Kaushambi Lok Sabha seats was not met. Incidentally, PDM seeks to counter Akhilesh's favourite phrase PDA - Pichhdaa (backward), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (backward.) The combination of a Kurmi-dominated Apna Dal (K) and a Muslim-oriented AIMIM may pose a serious threat to Samajwadi Party as both have a score to settle with Akhilesh Yadav. Already, PDM has announced candidates for seven Lok Sabha seats, which includes a Muslim candidate from Rae Bareli and OBC candidates from Bareilly, Hathras, Firozabad, Fatehpur, Bhadohi and Chandauli. SP realizes that Owaisi wishes to make inroads into UP by playing the Muslim card even as the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress are keen on doing the same. The importance of being Akhilesh Yadav in this Lok Sabha election Interestingly, despite having a substantial Muslim population, Uttar Pradesh has not seen a Muslim community-oriented political outfit achieve electoral success in the last several decades. On the other hand, caste-oriented parties as SP and BSP have done much better to achieve dominance in the state. Muslims preferred to support either of these parties after the Congress lost its appeal a few decades ago. The AIMIM has had some success in Bihar, though. In the 2020 Bihar elections, Owaisi's party had won five seats (but in June 2022, four of the MLAs joined the RJD). In this Lok Sabha election, AIMIM has decided to contest 11 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Maulana Mulayum and the Azam Khan factor In the past, there was a notable attempt to form a Muslim-driven party when the Peace Party, launched by Dr Mohammad Ayub Khan, a medical practitioner from eastern UP in February 2008, contested the UP Assembly elections in 2012 and won four seats. Although it professed to espouse the cause of Dalits and Muslims, its approach was to offer an alternative to Muslims as 'their' party. Interestingly, the past three decades have seen very few leaders emerge from the community itself. Mulayam Singh Yadav held sway over the community, earning the sobriquet of Maulana Mulayam with his strident statements favouring the community especially during 1989-1991. It was in the SP that Muslims saw a tall leader in Azam Khan of Rampur, who wielded considerable influence in western UP. He did help SP consolidate their hold among the community but Akhilesh's arrival in 2017 saw him being marginalised. In the words of S Abbas, a senior lawyer in Lucknow, he SP was considered a well-wisher of Muslims only until Mulayam was alive, but Akhilesh does not care for the community. His disregard for Azam Khan when the latter was hounded by the present government is not unnoticed by the community. The Owaisi plan and its impact Senior Muslim politicians such as Ahmed Hasan, Shafiqur Rahman Burq and ST Hasan did emerge but could not find place in the core team of Akhilesh Yadav. Incidentally, the criminals turned politicians from the community such as Atiq Ahmad and Mukhtar Ansari, only had a limited and local appeal. Mukhtar Ansari: End of a don of many states, many parties In the 2022 Assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party gave tickets to 88 Muslim candidates, followed by the Samajwadi Party, who gave it to 64 candidates, and the AIMIM, who gave it to 60. Of these only 32 from SP and 2 from Rashtriya Lok Dal were elected. In some constituencies, AIMIM got more votes than the margin by which the SP candidates lost. If the SP had got those AIMIM votes also, it would have won easily. AIMIM aims to specifically target Muslim-dominated regions, as is evident by Owaisi's recent visit to the family home of late Mukhtar Ansari in Ghazipur and his meeting with local leaders. Incidentally, for some reason Akhilesh visited Ansari household much later. Zia-ul-Haq, a native of Basti, notes that Owaisi has a limited appeal among UP's Muslims primarily because he is a Shia from southern India. His brand of politics has so far not appealed to the community but some educated young Muslims have been drawn to his arguments and statements. His being a lawyer obviously helps. Even though the so-called Muslim vote bank appears to have lost its ability to sway elections in the last 10 years, Owaisi is obviously attempting to rise as the community's go-to leader by playing upon their fears. For the BJP, it means a further fragmentation of the Muslim votes, as the BSP, too, has chosen to field a large number of Muslims this time. Owaisi is widely seen as a polarising figure and if he engages in frequent campaigning, it might lead to further polarization, helping BJP's prospects. It is not for nothing that Owaisi is termed as the B-team of the BJP, observes Abbas. ( Ratan Mani Lal is a senior journalist based in Uttar Pradesh. )

Minister dropped but wife named in Punjab, Shivaji descendant in Maharashtra

NEW DELHI : The BJP dropped yet another Union minister from its 12th list of candidates for seven Lok Sabha seats, and instead fielded his wife from the Hoshiarpur constituency in Punjab. The party has also fielded a descendant of an erstwhile royal Maratha family of Chhatrapati Shivaji, who is currently a Rajya Sabha member, from the high-profile Satara seat. Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale received BJPs recognition on a seat from where Praful Patel of Ajit Pawar-led NCP, now a BJP ally in the ruling Maharashtra coalition government, was eager to contest. Bhosale won the Satara seat in 2019 as a candidate of the then-undivided NCP. A few months later, he resigned and joined the BJP. But in the bypolls that followed, Bhosale lost as a BJP candidate against NCPs Shrinivas Patil. Later, the BJP nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in April 2020. His term is due to end in 2026. The third notable BJP candidate on the list is Abhijit Das, who will lock horns with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjees nephew Abhishek Banerjee, from Diamond Harbour that votes on June 1 in the final phase of the elections. Das is the former president of the partys South 24 Parganas district unit and is said to be very articulate. Das belongs to RSS and had unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha elections in 2014. With his candidature, the party has announced all 42 candidates from West Bengal. In Punjab, the BJP dropped Union minister Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur, but fielded his wife Anita Som Parkash from the seat. The party believes Som Parkash holds subtantial influence in the constituency. The BJP had won the Hoshiarpur seat in 2014. In 2019, Som Parkash won the seat defeating Congress Raj Kumar Chabbewal. In the previous polls, the party was at loggerheads with its erstwhile ally SAD over the Hoshiarpur seat. The BJP has now fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu from Bathinda that is currently represented by SADs Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Sidhu is the daughter-in-law of senior Akali leader Sikander Singh Maluka and joined the BJP recently with her husband Gurpreet Singh Maluka. A 2011-batch IAS officer, she would be pitted against Congress Jeet Mohinder Sidhu and AAPs Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Interestingly, SAD has not yet announced its candidate from Bathinda. The BJPs latest list came only three days ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The partys Central Election Committee also announced candidates in Uttar Pradesh. The party has so far fielded candidates for 430 seats out of the total 543 LS seats. In Uttar Pradesh, the party has fielded Vishwadeep Singh from Firozabad and Shashank Mani Tripathi from Deoria, dropping MPs from these seats. A party source said the anti-incumbency on these two seats was the prime factor behind dropping the MPs. Former IAS officer to fight from Bathinda The BJP has fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu from Bathinda, currently represented by SADs Harsimrat Kaur Badal.Sidhu is the daughter-in-law of Akali leader Sikander Singh Maluka. She is pitted against Congress Jeet Mohinder Sidhu and AAPs Gurmeet Singh Khudian.

BJP benches Firozabad MP, fields son of former MP

Thakur Vishwadeep Singh, son of Thakur Brajraj Singh, contests Firozabad against Akshay Yadav and Satyendra Jain, promising development. Voting on May 7. Acknowledges BJP's 2019 victory margin, Akshay's defeat factors, and Shivpal Singh Yadav's influence.

LS polls 2024: BJP replaces Union minister Som Parkash with his wife in Hoshiarpur

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday named seven more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, from Satara in Maharashtra. The ruling party dropped Union minister Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur in Punjab but decided to field his wife Anita Som Parkash to keep the influential local leader's support intact. It has fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu, who comes from an influential political family long associated with the Akali Dal, from Bathinda. In Uttar Pradesh, the party has fielded Vishwadeep Singh from Firozabad and Shashank Mani Tripathi from Deoria, dropping its sitting MPs from the two seats. It has named Abhijit Das from Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. With the new list, the party has named its candidates for around 430 seats for the polls to 543 seats starting from April 19. The party also released its second list of 21 candidates for the Odisha assembly polls, fielding former minister Dilip Ray from Rourkela. So far, the BJP has named 133 candidates for the sate polls.

Keshav Prasad Maurya accuses Akhilesh Yadav of verbally attacking his late father in Mainpuri

Keshav Prasad Maurya accuses Akhilesh Yadav of verbally attacking his late father in Mainpuri Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya Monday accused Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav of hurling abuses at his late father and dubbed the opposition party as a factory that produces ''rioters, goons, criminals and mafia''. ''A Samajwadi Party (SP) membership is a certificate of hooliganism,'' Maurya claimed. The BJP leader addressed a meeting of party workers here after its candidate from the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat Jayveer Singh filed his nomination papers. ''Akhilesh Yadav abused my late father in the Assembly when I went to Saifai to pay tributes to his father. This is the difference of values between the BJP and the SP,'' the state tourism minister said. Mainpuri is the last fort of the Samajwadi party, ''uproot it and make the lotus bloom'', he said. Sharpening his attack on the SP chief, Maurya said, ''Akhilesh Yadav, who became the chief minister through inherited politics, turned the state into a resting place for goons, criminals and mafia. Only one slogan was raised in the entire Uttar Pradesh 'Jis gari mein SP ka jhanda, us gari mein baitha gunda (vehicles carrying SP flags have goons sitting in them)'.'' He also asked voters to ''end nepotism and make the BJP victorious''. ''Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with the blessings of the people, the BJP will win all 80 (LS) seats in the state,'' Maurya added. Jayveer Singh will be contesting against sitting MP Dimple Yadav, wife of SP chief Yadav. Polling in Mainpuri, along with Bareilly, Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Etah, Budaun and Aonla, will be held in the third phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 7.

Uttar Pradesh shocker: 23-year-old Dalit girl set on fire by lover, parents in Firozabad

A 23-year-old Dalit girl was set on fire by three persons allegedly over a financial dispute in the Dakshin area of Firozabad district in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

BJP yet to announce names for 12 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh

Several factors are at play with the BJP looking for new candidates in some constituencies, while at the same time, trying to keep caste equations in its favour, in several other seats. These 12 constituencies also include Balia, Ghazipur, Machhlishahr which borders Prime Minister Narendra's seat Varanasi in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Kaiserganj, Firozabad, Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Deoria, Kaushambi, and Phulpur.

UP: Neither wife nor son, Brij Bhushan firm on Kaiserganj poll arena

LUCKNOW : While the suspense over a dozen seats of Uttar Pradesh, including Kaiserganj, continues as the BJP is yet to announce its candidates, the sitting tainted MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is believed to be adamant about contesting from Kaiserganj himself. Notably, Singh has been facing legal proceedings in connection with the alleged sexual exploitation of female wrestlers while being the president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). He was removed from the post following prolonged protests by the wrestlers in New Delhi last year. As per sources, owing to the taint, while the ruling party had given him the options of fielding the candidate of his choice either his wife Ketaki Singh or son Prateek Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj, even after several rounds of talks, the sitting MP does not seem to be ready to budge and is pushing for his own candidature. However, the final call will be of the central leadership of the BJP. Not only the central leadership but also the state unit of BJP feels that facing the allegations of sexual exploitation of female wrestlers, Singhs candidature would give ammunition to the Opposition to target the ruling alliance in the field. The BJP insiders claim that the state unit of the party has already sent its report to the central leadership regarding the 12 seats on which the candidates have to be announced. It is expected that the list for these 12 seats will be released before April 10. Of the 12 seats, including Rae Bareli, Deoria, Kaiserganj, Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Ghazipur, Ballia, Phulpur, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Bhadohi and Machhlishahar, on which the candidates are yet to be announced, BJP had lost three Mainpuri, Rae Bareli and Ghazipur winning the rest nine in the 2019 elections. According to party sources, the nine sitting MPs may be changed in the ensuing elections. The BJP is also waiting for the Congress to announce its candidate in Rae Bareli. The party will assess the situation and then move ahead with its choice of candidates, which include MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh, who had contested against Sonia Gandhi in 2019.

PM Modi to address digital NaMo rally of UP BJP booth members, 'panna pramukhs' on Apr 3

PM Modi to address digital NaMo rally of UP BJP booth members, 'panna pramukhs' on Apr 3 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday will address a digital NaMo rally through the NaMo app at all 22,648 booths of 10 Lok Sabha seats going to the polls in the third phase in Uttar Pradesh. According to a BJP release issued here on Tuesday, the prime minister will also interact with some booth presidents on this occasion. Prime Minister Modi will connect through the NaMo app with the workers of 22,648 booths of Sambhal, Badaun, Bareilly, Aonla, Etah, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad and Mainpuri Lok Sabha seats on Wednesday at 1 pm, BJP state general secretary Sanjay Rai said in the release. The prime minister will address the booth committee members and 'panna pramukhs', it added. The office-bearers of state, area and district units will also go to their booths and join this NaMo rally. Modi will also personally talk to some booth presidents and get information about the activities of the party, it added. Voting for the 10 seats in the third phase will take place on May 7.

PM Modi to address booth committees members, panna pramukhs of UP virtually tomorrow

PM Modi to address booth committees members, panna pramukhs of UP virtually tomorrow Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the digital Namo rally through the Namo app at all the booths of 10 Lok Sabha seats falling under the third phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. On this occasion, he will also talk to some booth presidents. State General Secretary Sanjay Rai said that in the third phase, voting will be held on May 7 in Sambhal, Badaun, Bareilly, Aonla, Etah, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad and Mainpuri. Prime Minister Modi will connect with the workers through the Namo app on April 3 at 1 pm at 22,648 booths in all these Lok Sabha seats. Sanjay Rai said that the Prime Minister will address the booth committee members and panna in-charges in the Namo rally. He said that state, regional and district officials will also join this Namo rally by visiting their booths. He said that the Prime Minister himself will talk to some booth presidents and will also get information about the party's activities. Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning April 19. Uttar Pradesh, which sends the maximum number of MPs, 80, to Parliament, will vote in all seven phases. Earlier in the 2019 elections, proving all the arithmetic of the SP-BSP 'mahagatbandhan' in Uttar Pradesh wrong, the BJP and its ally Apna Dal(S) won 64 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats. The alliance partners, Akhilesh Yadav's party and Mayawati Party's, won 15 seats. Voting for phases one and two will be held on April 19 and April 26. Next, the state will once again poll in phases three and four on May 7 and May 13. The Uttar Pradesh electorate will also vote in phases five, six and seven on May 20, May 23 and June 1 respectively. The votes will be counted on June 4. The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh: Battle to protect political legacies

LUCKNOW : Be it Samajwadi Partys Ikra Hasan from Kairana, Ziaur Rehman Barq from Sambhal, four candidates of Mulayam Singh Yadav clan, including Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh, Shivpal Yadav from Badaun, Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri and Akshay Yadav from Firozabad, BJP candidate Kirtivardhan Singh from Gonda, the infamous Ansari clans Afzal Ansari from Ghazipur, TMC candidate Lalitesh Pati Tripathi from Bhadohi, swords are out for the political legacies that are at stake. Kairana SP candidate Ikra Hasan from Kairana, to vote in the first phase, is working hard to protect the legacy of three generation of her family. Her grandfather Chaudhury Akhtar Hasan had won from Kairana on Congress ticket in 1984 defeating BSPs Mayawati, as it was her debut in electoral politics. Ikras father Munnawar Hasan was elected from the same seat as SP candidate in 1996. After his death in a road accident in 2008, his wife Tabassum Hasan (Ikras mother) took the baton and won the seat in 2009 and also in 2018 by-poll. Ikras brother Nahid Hasan is an SP MLA from Kairana Assembly segment but he is in jail due to multiple criminal cases. Sambhal SP MP late Shafiqur Rehman Barq represented the constituency for five times in the Lok Sabha. He had also represented the assembly segment of Sambhal four times. He was announced the party candidate for ensuing elections as well but the party chose his grandson Ziaur Rahman Barq as its candidate from the seat following the death of Shfiqur Rehman Barq, 92, due to old age. Zia is the SP MLA from Kundarki seat of Moradabad. Etawah The Yadav clan rules the roost here and is counted among the biggest political families of the country. This family of SP patriarch late Mulayam Singh Yadav is striving hard from western to eastern UP to protect its political legacy. Four members of Yadav clan have already taken command of four Lok Sabah seats including Akhilesh Yadavs cousin Dharmendra Yadav in Azamgarh, Dimple Yadav in Mainpuri, Akshay Yadav (son of SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav) in Firozabad and Akhileshs uncle Shivpal Yadav in Badaun. Some more seats could be assigned to the family members. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav may also test the poll waters from Kannauj himself or field his nephew Tej Pratap Yadav. Ghazipur The infamous family of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari calls the shots here. This time, BSP MP Afzaal Ansari, Mukhtars brother, switched sides and is riding the cycle as SP candidate. The political influence of the family in Ghazipur and adjoining areas can be gauged from the fact that all the three Ansari brothersMukhtar, Afzaal and Sigbatullahand their sons have won 16 elections altogether during the last 39 years. Afzaal himself has represented Mohammadabad assembly segment five times (1985-2002). He has won from Ghazipur LS seat twice. Youngest Mukhtar has been a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat, which is now represented by his son Abbas. Eldest Sigbatullah has been a two-time MLA from Mohammadabad in 2007 and 2012. Now his son Suheb Ansari is SP MLA from Mohammadabad seat. Bhadohi The prestige of Congresss one of the most prominent political families of yore is at stake in the carpet town of Bhadohi from where Laliteshpati Tripathi is contesting as Trinamool Congress candidate. Lalitesh left Congress and joined TMC in 2021 breaking a century-old ties with the grand old party when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was party in-charge of eastern UP. Lalitesh is the great-grandson of Kamlapati Tripathi, a former Congress stalwart and former UP CM. Lalitesh belongs to one of the most illustrious political families of Congress and his ancestral houseAurangabad house in Varanasiused to be the nerve centre of Congress activities in UP. He has been Congress MLA from Madihaan seat of Mirzapur. Gonda This seat is likely to witness a fierce battle between two political families. The scion of Mankapur royal family and BJP MP Kirtivardhan Singh will be facing SP candidate Shreya Verma, grand-daughter of prominent SP leader Beni Prasad Verma who had his clout among Kurmi caste group. While Kirtivardhan is making all-out efforts to make a hat-trick as BJP MP from Gonda and fifth term in th Lok Sabha from the same seat. He had won 1998 and 2004 election from Gonda as SP candidate. His father Anand Vardhan Singh represented the seat in 5th, 7th, 8th and ninth Lok Sabha as Congress MP. On the other, Shreya Verma is trying hard to reclaim her grandfathers territory as he had won it in 2009 as Congress candidate.

Battle to protect political legacies on cards in UP

LUCKNOW: With the stage set for the biggest battle of ballots for 18th Lok Sabha, the political parties have started announcing their warriors to command the fronts belonging to high profile political families and the challenge is to protect their legacies. Be it SPs Ikra Hasan from Kairana, Ziaur Rehman Barq from Sambhal, four candidates of Mulayam Singh Yadav clan including Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh, Shivpal Yadav from Badaun, Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri and Akshay Yadav from Firozabad, BJP candidate Kirtivardhan Singh from Gonda, the infamous Ansari clans Afzal Ansari from Ghazipur, TMC candidate Lalitesh Pati Tripathi from Bhadohi, swords are out for the political legacies are at stake. Ikra Hasan Kairana: The SP candidate Ikra Hasan from Kairana, to vote in the first phase, is toiling hard to protect the legacy of three generation of her family. Her grandfather Chaudhury Akhtar Hasan had won from Kairana on Congress ticket in 1984 defeating BSP candidate Mayawati, as it was her debut in electoral politics. Ikras father Munnawar Hasan was elected from the same seat as SP candidate in 1996. After his demise in a road accident in 2008, his wife Tabassum Hasan (Ikras mother) took the baton and won the seat in 2009 and also in 2018 by-poll. Ikras brother Nahid Hasan is an SP MLA from Kairana Assembly segment but he is in jail due to multiple case of criminal offences registered against him. Sambhal: SP MP late Shafiqur Rehman Barq represented the constituency for five times in Lok Sabha. He had also represented the assembly segment of Sambhal four times. He was announced the party candidate for the ensuing elections as well but the party chose his grandson as its candidate from the seat following the demise of Shfiqur Rehman Barq, 92, after prolonged illness due to old age. Zia is the SP MLA from Kundarki seat of Moradabad. Ziaru Rehman Barq Etawah: The Yadav clan rules the roost here and is counted among the biggest political families of the country. This family of SP patriarch late Mulayam Singh Yadav is striving hard from western to eastern UP to protect its political legacy in Uttar Pradesh. Four members of Yadav clan have already taken command of four Lok Sabha seats including Akhilesh Yadavs cousin Dharmendra Yadav in Azamgarh, Dimple Yadav in Mainpuri, Akshay Yadav (son of SP RS MP Prof Ram Gopal Yadav) in Firozabad and Akhileshs uncle Shivpal Yadav in Badaun. Some more seats could be assigned to the family members. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav may also test the poll waters from Kannauj himself or field his nephew Tej Pratap Yadav. Akshay Yadav Dimple Yadav Akshay YadavGonda: This seat is likely to witness a fierce battle between two political families. The scion of Mankapur royal family and sitting BJP MP Kirtivardhan Singh will be facing SP candidate Shreya Verma, grand-daughter of prominent SP leader Beni Prasad Verma who had his clout among Kurmi caste group. While Kirtivardhan is making all out efforts to win make a hat-trick as BJP MP from Gonda and fifth term in Lok Sabha from the same seat. He had won 1998 and 2004 election from Gonda as SP candidate. His father Anand Vardhan Singh has represented the seat in 5th, 7th, 8th and ninth Lok Sabha as Congress MP. On the other, Shreya Verma is trying hard to reclaim her grandfathers territory as he had won it in 2009 as Congress candidate. Ghazipur: The infamous family of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari calls the shots here. This time, the sitting BSP MP Afzaal Ansari, Mukhtars brother, has switched sides and is riding the cycle as SP candidate. The political influence of the family in Ghazipur and adjoining areas can be gauged from the fact that all the three Ansari brothersMukhtar, Afzaal and Sigbatullahand their sons have won 16 elections altogether during the last 39 years. Afzaal himself has represented Mohammadabad assembly segment five times (1985-2002) in UP Assembly. He has won from Ghazipur LS seat twice. Youngest Mukhtar has been a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat which is now represented by his son Abbas. Eldest Sigbatullah has been a two-time MLA from Mohammadabad in 2007 and 2012. Now his son Suheb Ansari is SP MLA from Mohammadabad seat. Bhadohi: The prestige of Congresss one of the most prominent political families of yore is at stake in the carpet town of Bhadohi from where Laliteshpati Tripathi is contesting as Trinamool Congress candidate. Lalitesh had left Congress and joined TMC in 2021 breaking a century-old ties with grand old party when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was party in-charge of eastern UP. Lalitesh is the great grandson of Kamlapati Tripathi, a former Congress stalwart and former UP CM. Lalitesh belongs to one of the most illustrious political families of Congress and his ancestral house Aurangabad house in Varanasiused to be the nerve centre of Congress activities in UP. He has been Congress MLA from Madihaan seat of Mirzapur.

CM Yogi to conduct 'Prabuddh Sammelan' in 15 districts of Western UP from March 27

CM Yogi to conduct 'Prabuddh Sammelan' in 15 districts of Western UP from March 27 In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will conduct 'Prabuddh Sammelan' in 15 districts of Western UP from March 27 to 31. Ahead of the election rallies, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will interact with intellectuals across various districts in the state through 'Prabuddh Sammelan' (meeting of intellectuals), presenting a comprehensive account of the government's work. The Chief Minister's Prabuddh Sammelans are set to begin from Western Uttar Pradesh, where elections will also be held in the first few phases. Through these proposed meetings until March 31, CM Yogi will engage in dialogue with the people, laying the groundwork for the 'Phir ek bar, Modi sarkar' resolution ahead of the elections. As per the schedule announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party, Uttar Pradesh, CM Yogi will visit 15 districts over five days from March 27 to 31. His series of Prabuddh Sammelan will commence from Mathura, Meerut, and Ghaziabad on Wednesday, March 27, where he will engage with dignitaries and the general public. On Thursday, March 28, CM Yogi's schedule includes programs in Bijnor, Moradabad, and Amroha, where he will interact with prominent individuals. Moving forward, on March 29, CM Yogi is scheduled to participate in the Prabuddh Sammelan in Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, and Saharanpur. Continuing this momentum, on March 30, he will attend Prabuddh Sammelan in Baghpat (Modinagar), Bulandshahr, and Gautam Buddha Nagar. Lastly, on March 31, he will be present at Prabuddh Sammelans in Bareilly, Rampur, and Pilibhit. Through these 'Prabuddha Sammelans, ' CM Yogi aims to provide detailed information about the achievements of both the state and the central governments. He will also discuss the schemes benefiting the common people under the double-engine government. CM Yogi had previously organized a similar Prabuddha Sammelan before the 2023 civic elections, significantly benefiting the BJP and leading to a clean sweep in all municipal corporations. Once again, CM Yogi is gearing up with the mission of a clean sweep in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections through these 'Prabuddha Sammelans'. These 'Prabuddha Sammelans' of CM Yogi are starting from Western Uttar Pradesh, where elections will be held in the initial phases. In the first phase i.e. on April 19, 2024, elections are to be held in Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina, Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit, while in the second phase i.e. on April 26, elections are to be held in Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and Mathura. Similarly, in the third phase, elections have been announced in districts like Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun and Bareilly. Keeping this schedule in mind, CM Yogi's 'Prabuddha Sammelans' is beginning from the districts of Western Uttar Pradesh so that the impact of his dialogue can reach the common people as much as possible. (ANI)

On high-stake 80 seats, Varanasi, Gorakhpur go to polls in last phase

LUCKNOW: With the notification for Lok Sabha elections issued by the Election Commission on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh, politically the biggest state of the country, will witness voting across all seven phases starting from April 19 and ending on June 1. UP sends 80 members, including the Prime Minister, to the lower house of Parliament. Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a candidate, and Gorakhpur, considered the stronghold of CM Yogi Adityanath, will vote in the seventh and last phase on June 1. Adityanath had represented Gorakhpur in Lok Sabha from 1998 till 2014, and the seat is now represented by Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan. While the BJP has repeated Ravi Kishan in Gorakhpur, the Samajwadi Party has fielded model Kajal Nishad. State capital Lucknow, once the stronghold of former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and now represented by defence minister Rajnath Singh, will vote in the fifth phase, along with Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Gandhi family bastions, on May 20. Ayodhya and the four seats of Bundelkhand region will also go to polls in the fifth phase. Voting in the Samajwadi Partys strongholds will be held in the third and fourth phases Mainpuri, Etah and Firozabad under Agra division in the third on May 7, and Etawah and Kannauj in the fourth on May 13. Dimple Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadavs wife, is sitting MP from Mainpuri. In the first phase, 8 seats of western UP, including constituency number 1 Saharanpur and Rampur, bastion of SPs jailed leader Azam Khan will vote on April 19. Eight seats will vote in second phase on April 26 and 10 in third phase on May 7.

15.34 crore eligible to vote in UP's seven-phase election; Polling in Varanasi, Gorakhpur in final phase

15.34 crore eligible to vote in UP's seven-phase election; Polling in Varanasi, Gorakhpur in final phase Around 15.34 crore people are eligible to vote in Uttar Pradesh - a politically crucial state with 80 Lok Sabha seats where elections will be held in seven phases from April 19. According to the poll schedule announced by the Election Commission on Saturday, single-phase polling will be held in 15 states and seven Union Territories, while staggered elections will be held in the rest of the 13 states and Jammu and Kashmir. Elections will be held in seven phases in the three states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. ''At present, there are around 15.34 crore voters in Uttar Pradesh, of which 8.17 crore are males and 7.17 crore are females. ''There are 6,638 third gender voters, while there are more than 12.51 lakh divyaang voters,'' State Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa told reporters. He said there are 92,587 polling stations in the state, while there are over 1.62 lakh polling booths. According to the election schedule, eight parliamentary constituencies in UP will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 19. These are Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina (SC), Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit. The seventh and final phase of polling will be held on June 1, and among the seats it will cover are Varanasi -- represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- and Gorakhpur, the pocket borough of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Voting in the second phase will take place on April 26 and it will cover eight parliamentary constituencies of Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambuddh Nagar, Bulandshahr (SC), Aligarh and Mathura. Ten parliamentary constituencies of Sambhal, Hathras (SC), Agra (SC), Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Budaun, Aonla and Bareilly will go to polls in the third phase on May 7. The fourth phase of the Lok Sabha polls in UP will witness voting on May 13 and will cover the 13 constituencies of Shahjahanpur (SC), Khiri, Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur and Bahraich (SC). State capital Lucknow will go to polls on May 20, in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The other (13) seats going to polls in the fifth phase in the state are --- Mohanlalganj (SC), Rae Bareli, Amethi, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Kaisarganj and Gonda. The sixth phase of the general elections will cover 14 seats of Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Phoolpur, Allahabad, Ambedkarnagar, Shravasti, Domariyaganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Lalganj (SC), Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Machhlishahr and Bhadohi. Voting in the sixth phase will be held on May 25. Apart from Varanasi and Gorakhpur, the other parliamentary constituencies that will go to polls in the seventh phase are Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Robertsganj (SC). The counting of votes will be held on June 4. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 62 seats and its ally Apna Dal (S) two seats, brushing aside the challenge of the SP-BSP alliance. The Congress won the lone Rae Bareli seat of Sonia Gandhi. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was the biggest gainer in the alliance with 10 seats. Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party won five seats and the smallest partner Rashtriya Lok Dal couldn't open its account in the polls.

Samajwadi Party releases list of another six candidates, Dharmendra Yadav to contest from Azamgarh

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi party, on Saturday, released another list of six candidates. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's cousin Dharmendra has been fielded from Azamgarh. The other candidates are Dr Mahendra Nagar from Gautam Budhh Nagar, Manoj Rajvanshi from Mishrikh, Bheem Nishad from Sultanpur, Jitendra Dohre from Etawah and Narain Das Ahirwar from Jalaun. The Samajwadi Party has 63 candidates available to contest, while the Congress, their partner in the INDI Alliance, has 17 candidates, as per the seat-sharing agreement. The SP is supposed to accommodate the smaller allies like Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), a break-away group of Apna Dal (Sonelal), sparing seats from its quota. Interestingly, out of the 43 candidates that have been announced so far, four of them happen to be family members of Akhilesh Yadav including his wife Dimple Yadav (Mainpuri), cousin Akshay Yadav (Firozabad), cousin Dharmendra Yadav (Azamgarh) and uncle Shivpal Yadav (Badaun). As per the speculations dominating the political circles of UP, SP chief may contest from Kannauj thus taking the clan figure to five. Azamgarh is believed to be the stronghold of Samajwadi Party which won all the 10 assembly segments under the parliamentary constituency during 2022 UP Assembly elections. Then Akhilesh Yadav was the sitting MP from Azamgarh. However, the party lost its bastion, dominated by Muslim and Yadav population, to the BJP in June 2022 bypoll as Akhilesh had vacated the seat to retain Karhal assembly segment which he had won in 2022 state polls. The SP had fielded Dharmendra Yadav as a safe candidate to take the family legacy forward but he lost it to BJP's Dinesh Lal Nirhaua by a slender margin of 8,679 votes. Dharmendra Yadav and Dinesh Lal Nirhaua are once again set to fight for the Azamgarh seat as their respective parties have fielded them for the Lok Sabha polls this year. The experts, however, feel that the road for Nirhaua will not be easy this time as Guddu Jamali, who was fielded by the BSP in the bypoll and had led to the division of Muslim votes, is now in the SP camp and has been nominated to UP Counsil by Akhilesh. So far, the SP has spared the Bhadohi seat from its quota for Trinamool Congress party which has fielded Laliteshpati Tripathi, the Congress turncoat and great-grandson of former UP CM and Congress stalwart Kamlapati Tripathi. The Congress, which has released two lists of 40 candidates each for multiple states, is yet to open its cards in UP. The seat will go to poll in the sixth poll along with a dozen other eastern UP constituencies.

IAS Kriti Raj: Know About Young `Ghoonghatdhari` SDM Of Firozabad - Going Viral For All The Right Reasons

A video of the Firozabad SDM Kriti Raj standing in a veil at the hospital with other patients has gone viral. She was seen checking and segregating stocks of medicine from the pharmacy at the hospital.

Face Covered, Posing As Patient: Bureaucrat Inspects UP Health Centre

An IAS officer conducted an inspection at a government health centre in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad wearing a veil and posing as a patient.

IAS officer poses as patient, inspects health centre in UP's Firozabad

IAS officer poses as patient, inspects health centre in UP's Firozabad An IAS officer conducted an inspection at a government health centre in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad wearing a veil and posing as a patient.The officer said that she decided to conduct the inspection after receiving several complaints regarding inconveniences faced by patients in the area. I had received a complaint in regards to Dida Mai health centre that the doctor was not present even after 10 am to administer an injection for a dog bite, Kriti Raj posted as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in the area said. Raj said that she took an appointment, spoke with the doctor and found his behaviour to be unprofessional. I went there anonymously in a veil. I sought an appointment and spoke with the doctor. The doctor's behaviour was not appropriate, she said. Pointing out discrepancies in the attendance of staff at the health centre, the SDM said, When I checked their attendance register I noted that some of them were absent. Some of them had signatures on the register but were not present at the health centre. Moreover around half of the stock of their medicines were found to be expired when we checked them, she added. Cleanliness and proper hygiene were also not being maintained at the health centre, the SDM said. Pointing out to the poor quality of service at the health centre, she said, Even injections were not being given properly. The staff were not working with the motive to serve people. On the steps that would be taken against the health centre officials from her office, Raj said We have taken note of all these and we will investigate, adding that they will be sending them a report. Visuals from the spot showed SDM Kriti Raj standing in a veil at the hospital with other patients. She was also seen checking and segregating stocks of medicine from the pharmacy at the hospital. (ANI)

IAS officer poses as patient, inspects health centre in UPs Firozabad

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Farmers stir nationwide, says leader; Shubhkaran Singh's death caused by 'metallic pellets'

https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Feb/29/punjab-police-registers-murder-case-in-protesting-farmers-deathCHANDIGARH: The Centre has acknowledged that the ongoing farmers stir is a nationwide agitation, thus tightening security in and around the national capital to prevent the Delhi Chalo march , a farmer leader claimed on Wednesday. Interacting with the media at the Shambhu border, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher claimed that nearly 100 ryots have been detained in parts of Rajasthan while on their way to Delhi. By deploying heavy force, the government has accepted that the agitation is now countrywide, not confined to Punjab and Haryana, he said. Pandher said, Farmers from far off states have been asked to reach Delhi by train or other means and sit on a protest at Jantar Mantar. The government kept saying that this agitation is limited to Punjab. Then why have prohibitory orders under Section 144 been imposed in Jantar Mantar and some other parts of Delhi. Why is there so much barricading on Tikri and Singhu borders? Many farmers from Firozabad, UP, have succeeded to reach Jantar Mantar. Several others have started from eastern, central and southern parts of the country will also reach in the coming days if not detained by the authorities, Pandher said. We want to tell the Centre that we are sitting peacefully at Shambhu and Khanauri borders as both places are barricaded and we have been denied permission to go ahead. In the name of farmers, for how long will the government harass the Delhi residents, he added. Farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal had on Sunday called upon farmers across the nation to reach Delhi on March 6 for a protest demonstration. Cops step up security Meanwhile, police have installed barricades at borders and other parts of the city and intensified checking on roads leading to central Delhi. Delhi Police said it is keeping a strict vigil at the Tikri, Singhu, and the Ghazipur borders, as well as railway and metro stations and bus stands. We have stepped up security at all three borders. We are not shutting any border or route but vehicle checking will take place, an officer said. Section 144 is already imposed in Delhi. We will not allow any gathering or assembly anywhere, another officer informed. Additional police and paramilitary forces have been deployed at railway, metro stations and bus stands as the farmers would also be coming in public transport, he added. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rajeev Kumar said, As per the inputs, the farmers may start marching towards Delhi from Wednesday. Therefore, security has been tightened and forces have been deployed. Besides, we are trying to ensure that it doesnt affect the traffic. Post-mortem of farmer killed at border Meanwhile, the death of 22-year old farmer Shubhkaran Singh at the Khanauri border during the clashes between agitating farmers and law enforcement personnel, was caused due to Multiple round metallic pellets which were recovered from his head, stated the post-mortem report by a team of five doctors.

Suspense prevails over Rae Bareli as BJP probables for remaining UP seats wait with bated breath

LUCKNOW: All eyes are on the BJP's choice of candidate for Rae Bareli after the exit of former AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and the buzz of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra replacing her mother in the Gandhi family stronghold. Various names are doing the rounds as the possible BJP candidate for the Rae Bareli seat which did not figure in the first list of 51 candidates released by the ruling party on Saturday for the Lok Sabha polls. BJP probables are waiting with bated breath for the second list of candidates for the remaining 29 seats of Uttar Pradesh, which include seven -- Moradabad, Rae Bareli, Bijnor, Ghazipur, Mainpuri, Saharanpur and Ghazipur -- where the ruling party had lost to the SP-BSP grand alliance in 2019. The BJP had fielded candidates in 27 of those remaining 29 seats in 2019 and had won 20, including Prayagraj, Bareilly, Sultanpur, Kaiserganj, Bahraich, Deoria, Ballia, Machhalisahar, Kanpur, Firozabad, Hathras, Aligarh, Badaun, Meerut, Kaushambi, Baghpat, Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Pilibhit and Bhadohi. The political experts feel that the BJP would tread cautiously in Rae Bareli and is likely to reveal its cards only after the announcement of opposition candidates including those of the Congress and the BSP. However, the names of SP turncoat Manoj Pandey, who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha election in favour of the BJP candidate, and BJP MLC and Yogi minister Dinesh Pratap Singh are doing the rounds. Moreover, an equal amount of suspense prevails over two other seats having sitting members of the Gandhi family -- Sultanpur and Pilibhit -- which are represented by Maneka Gandhi and her son Varun respectively in the Lok Sabha. BJP trusts old guard in Uttar Pradesh, repeats 44 sitting MPs in first list of LS candidates Maneka Gandhi, an eight-time MP and former Union minister, is seeking re-entry into the Lok Sabha for a record ninth term though her victory margin against the BSP candidate was very thin 10,000 in 2019. Similarly, Pilibhit, represented by Varun Gandhi, who has not been let go of any chance to criticise the Modi and Yogi governments for the last couple of years, would be an interesting bet to watch out for. Varun had won the 2019 Lok Sabha election defeating his nearest rival Hemraj Verma of the SP by over three lakh votes. He had won from Pilibhit in 2009 and Sultanpur in 2014. Another seat to watch out for would be Kaiserganj, the stronghold of controversial former WFI chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh. The BJP has not named the candidate for Kaiserganj, which has been represented by Singh for six terms. Singh is now facing legal proceedings after allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by women wrestlers. Sources claim that the BJP may deny a ticket to Brij Bhushan this time and replace him with his son Prateek Bhushan Singh, the sitting BJP MLA from Gonda seat. What is more, the NDA allies in UP including Apna Dal (S), RLD, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and NISHAD are also awaiting the allocation of seats of their quota. In quest for 25/25, whiff of discontent in Rajasthan as BJP's first list of candidates out Two of these seats, Mirzapur and Roberstganj, are represented by the Anupriya Patel-led Apna Dal (S) and it will get the same two seats. As per informed sources, NDAs new ally, the Jayant Chaudhury-led RLD, is likely to get Baghpat and Bijnor while OP Rajbhars SBSP may get the Ghosi and Ghazipur seats. The fate of the partys sitting MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi vying for a second term from Prayagraj and eight-term MP Santosh Kumar Gangwar from Bareilly hangs in the balance as age does not favour them. However, by repeating Hema Malini, 75, from Mathura, the party has given hope to Joshi and Gangwar. The name of General (Retd) VK Singh, Union minister of state for road transport and civil aviation, was also missing in the first list and so was the name of former IPS officer Satya Pal Singh, the Baghpat MP. The fate of BJP MP from Badaun Sanghmitra Maurya hangs in the balance due to her father Swami Prasad Mauryas tirade against the BJP. The BJP candidates for Mainpuri and Firozabad, the two seats of Yadav land and SP strongholds, are also expected to be announced in the next list. Disconnect with voters, anti-incumbency may have cost four Delhi BJP MPs Lok Sabha ticket

Depressed over cancellation of exam, woman ends life in UP

Lucknow: A woman has committed suicide in Firozabad city of Uttar Pradesh after she got allegedly depressed over the cancellation of police recruitment exams. The victims (Varsha) family members claimed that she committed suicide after the police recruitment examinations were cancelled following paper leaks. Varsha, a student who had also been a NCC cadet, was 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 .