Panna (MP): In a jolt to the opposition’s INDIA bloc in Madhya Pradesh, nomination of the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) candidate from Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency, Meera Yadav, was on Friday rejected by the returning officer.

The development left the SP fuming with its chief Akhilesh Yadav terming it a “blatant murder” of democracy and demanding judicial probe.

Meera Yadav would challenge the rejection in the High Court, her husband Deep Narayan Yadav said

Congress, the main opposition party in the BJP-ruled state, had left the Khajuraho seat for SP as per the seat-sharing arrangement within the INDIA bloc. Polling will be held for the seat in the second phase, on April 26.

The Panna district collector, who is also the election returning officer, rejected Meera Yadav’s nomination as she had not signed the `B form’ and also failed to attach a certified copy of the 2023 Assembly elections voters’ list, a senior official said.

The BJP has fielded its state unit president and sitting MP Vishnu Dutt Sharma who is seeking a second term from Khajuraho.

Yadav’s husband Deep Narayan told reporters that they would move the high court against the returning officer’s order.

“The form was verified yesterday after scrutiny. There is a rule that if there is any discrepancy, it is the duty of the returning officer to get it rectified even if the candidate is illiterate,” he said.

“Yesterday, the form was found to be alright. Today, two shortcomings were pointed out. First, the voters’ list attached with the form is not certified or it is old. Signature was supposed to be made at two places, but it was made only in one place,” he added.

Yadav also claimed that they did not get a certified copy of voters’ list till April 3, and hence attached a copy that was available.

“We requested him (collector) that we still had time as we had come before (the deadline of) 3 pm, and it could be rectified. He should have told us yesterday about it and we could have done it by now,” Yadav added.

To a question, he said there were 15 other candidates in the fray, and “we will support one of them after consulting our senior leaders.” The election will be contested under any circumstances, he added.

Taking to X , SP chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted,|” The rejection of INDIA bloc’s SP candidate from Khajuraho seat was a blatant murder of democracy.

“It is being said that it (nomination form) was not signed. Why the officer looking after |(such things) accepted the form. This is all just excuses and frustration of the defeated BJP,” he stated.

There should be a judicial probe as the rejection of a candidate’s nomination is a crime in democracy, Yadav wrote.

Notably, the SP had announced on March 30 that Manoj Yadav, who belongs to Shikohabad in Uttar Pradesh, would be given ticket from Khajuraho. But two days later, it replaced him with Meera Yadav, a local face, to take on V D Sharma who had won Khajuraho seat by more than 4.5 lakh votes in 2019.

Meera Yadav had won from Niwari assembly seat, part of Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency, as SP candidate in 2008. Her husband Deep Narayan was the SP MLA in 2007 and 2012 from Garautha in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, which shares a border with MP’s Niwari district. He has also been the SP’s Madhya Pradesh unit chief.

The BJP has been winning the Khajuraho seat since 2004.

Kaithal (Hry): The AAP has alleged that its application seeking permission for two poll programmes from the authorities concerned were denied with abusive language in the reply.

Taking strong cognisance of the matter, Brahm Prakash, the sub-divisional magistrate-cum-assistant returning officer in Haryana’s Kaithal, ordered the suspension of five computer operators and directed police to conduct a thorough probe.

Sushil Gupta, the Haryana unit chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) who is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha election from the Kurukshetra constituency, said the party had sought permission for two poll programmes on April 7.

Kaithal is located within the Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency.

“In the reply we received, in one case, it was mentioned in writing that the permission has been rejected. In another, abuses were mentioned in the column where reasons for either approval or rejection have to be given,” Gupta said.

Nothing can be more shameful than the use of such objectionable language, he said while requesting the Election Commission for strict action in the matter

AAP leaders said they had applied for the permission for the April 7 programmes on the designated portal.

When contacted, Prakash said five computer operators were suspended and police directed to investigate the matter.

He did not rule out the possibility that the portal might have been hacked.

The Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to be held in seven phases starting April 19 and the counting of votes will be taken up on June 4. Haryana goes to polls on May 25.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has emphasized that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are a crucial battle to safeguard the essence of Indian democracy.

Stalin likened the current political climate to a second struggle for freedom, aimed at preserving the core values of India, including democracy, secularism, and pluralism.

In an interview with the Indian Express at his residence in Chennai, DMK chief Stalin expressed confidence in the opposition’s unity against the BJP, highlighting the presence of leaders like Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee, and Tejashwi Yadav. He also praised Rahul Gandhi as a dynamic leader poised to challenge Modi’s image and the RSS narrative.

Stalin criticized the Modi government for its focus on past grievances, such as the recent withdrawal of cases against AAP leaders who switched to the BJP. He accused the BJP of using the RTI Act selectively to attack opposition leaders, expressing concerns about the erosion of public trust in Modi’s statements.

Stalin reiterated the DMK’s commitment to social justice and inclusivity, contrasting it with the BJP’s divisive politics based on the RSS ideology. He criticized the BJP’s claims of upholding democracy and federalism, suggesting that these principles were not being upheld in practice.

New Delhi: The Congress has hailed as an “important first step” the Supreme Court’s notice to the Election Commission and the Centre on a plea seeking a complete count of VVPAT slips and said the matter should be decided before the Lok Sabha polls commence.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday said, “The Supreme Court has issued a notice today to the Election Commission on the issue of VVPATs. It bears constant repetition that the Election Commission has refused to meet a delegation of INDIA (bloc) party leaders who have been demanding 100 per cent VVPATs to increase public confidence in EVMs and to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.”

The court on Monday sought responses from the commission and the central government on the plea seeking a complete count of VVPAT slips in polls as opposed to the current practice of verification of only five randomly selected EVMs through VVPAT paper slips.

“The notice is an important first step, but for it to be meaningful, the matter should be decided before the elections commence,” Ramesh said.

The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is an independent vote verification system which permits an elector to see whether his vote was cast correctly.

The VVPAT generates a paper slip which can be viewed by the voter and the paper slip is kept in a sealed cover and can be opened in case of a dispute.

The top court, on April 8, 2019, had ordered the poll panel to increase the number of EVMs that undergo VVPAT physical verification from one to five per assembly segment in a parliamentary constituency.

A bench comprising justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta took note of the submissions of lawyers representing activist Arun Kumar Agrawal seeking a complete count of VVPAT slips in elections as opposed to the verification of only five randomly selected EVMs through VVPAT paper slips.

It issued notices to the Election Commission (EC) and the central government on the plea which may be listed for hearing on May 17.

Senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan and advocate Neha Rathi appeared for Agrawal.

The plea assailed the EC’s guideline that mandates that VVPAT verification shall be done sequentially, one after the other.

The plea said if simultaneous verification is done and more officers are deployed for counting in each assembly constituency, then complete VVPAT verification can be done in five to six hours.

In setback to the former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS, its sitting MP from Chevealla- Ranjith Reddy- and MLA D Nagender (Khairatabad) on Sunday quit the party and joined the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. 

Both joined the Congress party in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

“I’m writing to inform all my supporters and people that I have submitted the formal letter of resignation to @BRSparty…I would like to convey my gratitude to the BRS party for the meaningful opportunity provided & the cooperation extended in my service to the people of Chevella constituency. Due to evolving political circumstances, I have made this difficult decision to submit my resignation,” Ranjith Reddy said in a post

Responding to their entry, Revanth Reddy at a press conference said, “today we have opened gates (for other party leaders).” Another MP Pasunoori Dayakar (Warangal) on Saturday joined the ruling Congress.

Earlier, BRS MPs from Zahaeerabad and Nagarkurnool BB Patil and P Ramulu joined the BJP.

New Delhi: For the first time in Lok Sabha elections, people above 85 years of age and those with more than 40 per cent disability will be able to cast their votes from home, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday.

“We are ready to take vote at home for those above the age of 85 years, before nominations we will send form 12 D to their homes to choose the option.

“We have tried this in some parts of the country earlier in assembly elections but this is the first time it will be implemented across the country,” Kumar said while addressing a press conference to announce the schedule of the Lok Sabha elections.

“If they choose the option of voting from home, we will conduct voting for them at their residence. Our experience is that majority of these people want to come to the booths because they have consistently been part of our democracy… they will have volunteers and wheelchairs if they come to the booth,” he added.

According to Kumar, there are 82 lakh registered voters who are aged above 85 years while the number of PwD voters is 88.4 lakh.

A total of 2.18 lakh centenarians are also part of the electoral rolls.

The CEC said there are 97.8 crore eligible voters of which 49.72 crore are male voters and 47.1 crore are female voters. The polls for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases, starting with voting for 102 seats in the first phase on April 19. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar

New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar used a verse on Saturday to take a dig at the critics of electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying the poll authority is often at the receiving end of “unfulfilled desires”.

“Adhoori hasrato ka iljam har bar hum par lagana thik nahi, wafa khud se nahi hoti, khata EVM ki kehte ho, aur baad mein jab parinam aata hai toh uspe qayam bhi nahi rehte,” Kumar said, announcing the seven-phase Lok Sabha election.

The couplet, which Kumar said he thought of on Friday night, means it is not proper to blame the Election Commission for unfulfilled desires when one has not done his or her job properly.

He said this to buttress the point that even ruling parties have lost elections when EVMs were used for polling.

Apparently anticipating a vitriolic poll campaign, the CEC also urged political parties and leaders to refrain from abusing and vilifying their rivals.

He quoted a couplet from Bashir Badr: “Dushmani jam ke karo, lekin yeh gunjaish rahe, jab kabhi hum dost ho jaye toh sharminda na ho.”

“You can be sworn enemies, but let there be scope for not being ashamed when you become friends,” he said, adding that these days, there are many cases of foes turning friends again.

The CEC also quoted a couplet of Rahim: “Rahiman dhaga prem ka, mat todo chatkay, toote pe phir na jude, jude gaath pari jaaye.”

It broadly means that the threads of love, once broken, cannot be healed and even if they are repaired, the creases still remain.

On the prevalence of fake news during elections, Kumar urged the voters not to share such unverified information.

“Jhooth ke bazaar mein raunak to bahut hai, goya bulbule jaisi turant hi fat jati hai … pakad bhi loge to kya hasil hoga siwaye dhokhe ke,” he said.

Loosely translated, the couplet reads that the world of lies is attractive but short-lived, even if you achieve it, what will you get except betrayal?

New Delhi: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan said on Wednesday that his party has finalised a seat-sharing formula with the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls and all his “concerns” were addressed.

Following a meeting with BJP president J P Nadda, Paswan was lavish in his praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the ruling party as he expressed satisfaction at the offer given to him, a change from his recent muscle-flexing as the alliance talks dragged on.

Sources said Paswan’s party may contest on five of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

Hajipur seat, currently represented by his estranged uncle and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras who heads another LJP faction, might be given to Paswan as he considers the constituency a part of his rightful share due to his father Ram Vilas Paswan’s long association with it. The LJP founder and stalwart Dalit leader represented Hajipur eight times in Lok Sabha.

“Division of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar among all NDA parties decided. It will soon be formally announced. All my concerns have been addressed by the BJP. I am satisfied,” Chirag Paswan said.

Asked about the fate of the faction headed by Paras, Paswan said it was not his concern.

“The seats my party has are mine,” he said, in an indication that the claims of the Paras-headed National Lok Janshakti Party might have been ignored by the BJP.

With Paras serving as a Cabinet minister in the Union government, sources said the BJP will not like him to go against the ruling alliance and may accommodate him in some other capacity.

However, a close aide of Paras claimed that his faction, which has four MPs including him, will explore its options as he vented anger against the BJP over its deal with Chirag Paswan.

Amid claims and counterclaims by the two LJP factions and the BJP’s apparently failed bid for a rapprochement following Ram Vilas Paswan’s death in 2020, his younger brother Paras had walked away with four other MPs of the party due to their differences with Chirag Paswan, who remained the only MP in his faction.

However, the Jamui MP was successful in galvanising his party’s core supporters around his leadership, making the point to the BJP that he is the political heir to his father’s legacy.

One of the MPs of the Paras faction recently crossed over to the Chirag Paswan-led group.

Following Paswan’s assertion after talks with Nadda, Paras went into a huddle with his supporters at his residence here as his party weighed its options for the polls.

Though the BJP and the Janata Dal (United), the second biggest party in the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar, have made no official comments, sources said they may contest around 17 and 16 Lok Sabha seats respectively. Two other smaller allies may be given one seat each.

Paswan exuded confidence that the NDA will be able to win all 40 Lok Sabha seats from Bihar.

Asked about his differences with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U), he said all NDA constituents are working to achieve the target of crossing 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Gwalior : Even as the Trinamool Congress has decided to contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, the Congress on Sunday said doors are still open for an alliance with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC for the upcoming general polls.

Ahead of the opposition’s rally in Patna, Congress general secretary and in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh told PTI they are still hopeful and believe that when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says she is in the INDIA alliance, her priority is to defeat the BJP.

“We take that as a statement of her priority and intent,” he said in Gwalior.

“We have not closed any doors. She has unilaterally announced that she will contest all 42 seats (in West Bengal), well that is her announcement. As far as we are concerned, talks are still continuing, the doors are still open and the final word will not be said till the final word is said,” he said.

On the rally to be held in Bihar capital Patna, Ramesh said it is a joint opposition rally and coming after the prime minister went there on Saturday.

“It’s a very significant political rally and it shows the opposition unity to defeat the BJP and its allies,” he said.

Former Congress president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has also given a break to his ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ to take part in the rally, he said.

“Today is the 50th day (of the yatra), there has been a slight change because Rahul Gandhi has to go to Patna for the opposition rally and Congress president Malliarjun Kharge is also going to participate in it,” Ramesh said.

“So this morning, he (Gandhi) is going to have an interaction on the Agniveer issue. Then there will be a road show in Mohna. After that there is no yatra today. But tomorrow, on the 51st day, as planned and as scheduled, we will start from Shivpuri (in MP), ” he said.

On the fifth day, he (Gandhi) will be in Ujjain and visit the holy Shri Mahakaleshwar temple, he said.

Asked about the Lok Dal’s participation in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh recently, Ramesh said the “real” Lok Dal welcomed Rahul Gandhi during the yatra in Aligarh. There were posters, banners and hoardings of former PMs Chaudhary Charan Singh, Indira Gandhi and the Lok Dal, he said.

“That was the real Lok Dal, asli Lok Dal, RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) is the nakli Lok Dal,” he claimed.

The RLD joined the BJP-led NDA after the central government recently conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously on former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh. Asked whether Rahul Gandhi will contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat (in Kerala), Ramesh said, “That is under discussion and Rahul Gandhi will decide the seat.”

On the BJP declaring its first list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, Ramesh said why should he comment on the saffron party’s candidates.

“We are finalising our manifesto, our candidates and our seats in different states. My concern is what we are doing and not what the BJP is doing,” he added.

New Delhi : Thirty-six per cent of Rajya Sabha candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves while the average assets of candidates analysed stood at Rs 127.81 crore, according to poll rights body Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The ADR and the National Election Watch analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 58 out of the 59 candidates in the fray for 56 seats in 15 states. The Rajya Sabha polls are scheduled for February 27.

Congress candidate from Karnataka G C Chandrashekar was omitted from the analysis due to poorly scanned documents.

The analysis found that 36 per cent of the scrutinised candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Additionally, 17 per cent of these individuals face serious criminal charges with one candidate having cases related to attempted murder.

According to the analysis, eight (27 per cent) out of 30 BJP candidates, six (67 per cent) out of nine Congress candidates, one (25 per cent) out of four TMC candidates, two (67 per cent) out of three SP candidates, one (33 per cent) out of three YSRCP candidates, one (50 per cent) out of two RJD nominees, one (50 per cent) out of two BJD candidates, and one (100 per cent) BRS candidate have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

Moreover, the analysis delved into the financial backgrounds of the candidates.

Approximately 21 per cent of the candidates are billionaires, boasting of assets exceeding Rs 100 crore. The average assets of Rajya Sabha candidates stand at Rs 127.81 crore.

Congress nominee from Himachal Pradesh Abhishek Manu Singhvi with total assets worth Rs 1,872 crore, Samajwadi Party nominee from Uttar Pradesh Jaya Amitabh Bachchan with assets worth Rs 1,578 crore and JD(S) nominee from Karnataka Kupendra Reddy with assets amounting to Rs 871 crore are among the top three weathiest candidates, according to the analysis.

Among the poorest candidates are BJP’s Madhya Pradesh candidate Balyogi Umesh Nath with assets worth over Rs 47 lakh, BJP’s West Bengal candidate Samik Bhattacharya with assets worth Rs 1 crore and BJP’s Uttar Pradesh candidate Sangita with assets worth Rs 1 crore.

While 17 per cent of the candidates have educational qualifications ranging from 5th pass to 12th pass, a significant 79 per cent hold graduate or higher degrees.

A majority (76 per cent) of the candidates fall in the 51-70 age group with a smaller proportion (16 per cent) in the 31-50 age group. Only 19 per cent of the candidates are women, according to the analysis.