The man was immediately bundled out by security personnel at the BJP office.

GVL Rao and other BJP leaders were addressing the media on the decision to name Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as the party candidate from Bhopal when the man threw the shoe, according to TV channels.

A man hurled a shoe at BJP leader GVL Rao during a media briefing at the party headquarters in national capital Delhi on Thursday.

GVL Rao and other BJP leaders were addressing the media on the decision to name Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as the party candidate from Bhopal when the man threw the shoe, according to TV channels.

It was not immediately known what prompted the person threw the shoe. The accused identified himself as a doctor by profession, news agency PTI reported.

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He was immediately bundled out by security personnel at the BJP office. At the time of the incident, Rao was attacking the Congress for defaming Hindus by framing g “false cases” on Hindutva activists, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

The BJP has fielded Thakur as its candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Thakur is an accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case, which is being heard by a National Investigation Agency court.

Seven people had died in the 2007 Malegaon blast and more than 100 others were injured. The case was first probed by Maharashtra anti-terrorist squad. The NIA took over the case in 2011.

The NIA, in its chargesheet filed in 2016, gave a clean chit to Thakur arguing that the witnesses on whose testimony a case was made out against her had retracted their statements. The court, however, rejected the NIA’s plea to drop charges against Thakur.

Thakur is currently out on bail in the Malegaon blast case. She formally joined the BJP earlier this week and named candidate from Bhopal, which has been a bastion for the party. The BJP has not lost Bhopal Lok Sabha seat since 1989. Bhopal Lok Sabha seat goes to the polls on May 12 in the sixth phase of the parliamentary elections.

Agencies

Bengaluru, Apr 16 : Shivamogga, once the cradle of the socialist movement in Karnataka and now a BJP’s hunting ground, is witnessing a fierce battle between sons of two former chief ministers to gain entry to Parliament in the April 23 elections.

The Shivamogga seat, which went to bypolls in November, in which the BJP candidate B Y Raghavendra, son of former Karnataka Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, had won with a comfortable margin, is once again
facing Madhu Bangarappa, the JD(S)-Congress alliance, candidate, also son of late S Bangarappa, also a former Chief minister.

The BJP candidate and the sitting Lok Sabha member had to sweat it out to pip the JD(S) candidate in the November-2018 bypolls, is leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters, who had sent him twice to Parliament in the past.

While the district is in the news for the outbreak of the monkey fever, a disease usually found in forest covered areas, the issues of regularisation of the unauthorised cultivation of revenue and forest land, closure of the Mysore Paper Mills, the sickness of the Visvesvaraya Steel plant also hogs the limelight in the district.

While the sitting BJP member Raghavendra is yet to come out of the shell of his father B S Yeddyurappa’s clout despite being elected as the Lok Sabha member to the Karnataka Assembly, the Congress supported JD(S) candidate Madhu Bangarappa, is also banking on the popularity of his late father and former chief minister S Bangarappa.

The JD(S)-Congress alliance candidate Madhu Bangarappa is trying to win the focus of the voters by highlighting the achievements of the JD(S)-Congress, coalition government, including that of farm loan waiver, several pro-people populist schemes introduced by the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah.

The BJP candidate Raghavendra is trying to woo the voters by pointing out his achievements, including that of sanctioning of Natinal Highways, extension of Railway networks, introduction of new trains between Bengaluru and Shivamogga.

The strong impact of the undercurrent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wave, and a well knitted Sangh Pariwar volunteers should come to the aid of the Saffron candidate, Raghavendra, the pre-poll alliance between JD(S) and the Congress is working in favour of Madhu Bangarappa.

The constituency, consisting significant number of Lingayats, Brahmins, SC and STs, beside OBCs, seems to have been divided as the supporters of both the parties, with an exception of the Muslim minorities.

While prima facie it appears, it should be a cakewalk for the BJP, as the saffron party was succeeded in getting as many as 7 Assembly seats in the 2018 Elections, while the JD(S) drew blank and the Congress one.

?However with the coming together of anti-BJP parties, the outcome would be different this time? Manjunath, a paper vendor, opined.

While as many as 12 candidates, including BSP are in the fray, the main fight is between two traditional rivals, Congress supported JD(S) and the BJP in the constituency, which goes to poll on April-23, the second phase elections in Karnataka.

A case has been registered against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan after he was caught on camera making disgusting remarks allegedly against BJP candidate Jaya Prada while holding a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur constituency.

The usage of foul language during electioneering hit a new low Sunday when veteran SP leader Azam Khan made a “khaki underwear” jibe against Jaya Prada.

Without naming the actor, who is fighting as a BJP candidate from Rampur, Khan told the gathering in an election rally there “… you got represented (by her) for 10 years. (aapne das saal apna pratinidhitwa karwaya)”.

“People of Rampur, people of Uttar Pradesh and people of India, it took you 17 years to understand her reality. But, I could recognize it in 17 days that she wears a khaki underwear. (Rampur waalo, Uttar Pradesh waalo, Hindustan waalo, usski asliyat samajhne mein aapko 17 baras lag gaye. Main 17 dinon mein pehchaan gaya ki inke neeche kaa jo underwear hai, woh khaki rang kaa hai), said Khan.

The video of Khan’s purported speech was also doing the rounds on various social media platforms.

Construing Khan’s remark as having made against Jaya Prada, BJP’s state unit spokesperson Chandramohan told PTI, “It’s a very obnoxious and shameful remark.”

“The level of politics cannot fall lower than this,” said the BJP spokesperson.

This remark by Azam Khan reveals the actual face of the Samajwadi Party in which he is expressing his real thoughts about women oblivious of all dignity,” said Chandramohan.

The BJP also asked BSP supremo Mayawati to make her stand clear on “this indecent remark against Jaya Prada.”

National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma too construed Khan’s remarks as having been made against the actor and termed the same as “extremely disgraceful”. She said the women panel will be sending a show cause notice to Khan.

Meanwhile, speaking to media, Khan said that he will not the contest the Lok Sabha polls if proved guilty.

Last week Jaya Prada had alleged that she left Rampur after her “indecent images” were circulated and attempts were made to attack her with acid.

Jaya Prada had won the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in 2004 and 2009 on a Samajwadi Party ticket but later she was expelled for alleged anti-party activities in 2010. She joined the BJP last month.

Earlier in the month, a case was filed against the SP leader for allegedly making provocative remarks against four senior district officials after a complaint was filed by Congress leader Faisal Khan Lala.

Uttar Pradesh is voting for the 80 Lok Sabha seats in all seven phases.R

Amaravati, Apr 15 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu made asensational allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is carrying money in his helicopters to distribute to the BJP leaders.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he alleged that Mr Modi is taking money in his helicopters, taking advantage of the security cover, to distribute to the BJP leaders to win the Lok Sabha election.

He asked whether the Prime Minister would not come under Model Code of Conduct. “Mr Modi is the chowkidar only to the criminals and he ruined the country”, he alleged.

Mr Naidu questioned on why the Election Commission of India (ECI) is not ready to count 50 per cent VVPATs. He informed that the TDP is again approaching the Supreme Court seeking the counting of 50 per cent VVPAT slips.

?What is the objection to the ECI to count 50 per cent of VVPATs. When the Supreme Court asked, the ECI filed a false affidavit stating that it will take six days to count 50 per cent VVPATs, he said and made it clear that the TDP once again will approach the Apex court in this regard.

?When we pointed out the mistakes of the ECI, we are being blamed that we are politicizing the issue?, Mr Naidu lamented. He explained that out of the 190 democratic nations, only 18 countries are using EVMs.

He reminded that BJP Spokesperson and MP G V L Narasimha Rao wrote a book Democratic at Risk, opposing the use of EVMs, but now he is backing the EVMs.

The Chief Minister said that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a case in the court in this regard but is he not talking against EVMs now.

He said that there are ways to hack and upload EVMs and also control the EVM’s control units from somewhere else. There is also a scope to change memory of micro controls of EVMs and replace memory chip and soft password, he claimed.

Referring to themalfunction of EVMs in the recently concluded general election in the state, the Chief Minister said that after receiving his call, lakhs of voters who went home unable to stand in queue lines for a long time, returned to the polling stations to cast their votes and the voting had continued till 3 am on April 12, he claimed.

He deplored that after the technical snags of EVMs were rectified, violence incidents took place at some polling stations in the state.

Mr.Naidu said that the opposition parties are going to prepare an action plan to launch a peoples’ agitation against the attitude of ECI.

He claimed that there in an undercurrent in favour of the TDP and predicted that the party would win about 150 Assembly seats.

MYSURU: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil, who is contesting from Mandya against Sumalatha Ambareesh, on Thursday discounted the influence of star-power on elections and said that only a purely development-driven agenda would decide who gets elected. 

The fight for Mandya is shaping up to become one of the hottest fights this election with Sumalatha roping in film stars like Yash and Darshan to campaign for her. However, Nikhil, an actor himself, has chosen to give film stars a miss. Speaking to The media, Nikhil said he was banking on the family’s long connect with Mandya and the promise of development if he is elected.

“People gathering to see film stars will not translate into votes. Sumalatha has not deterred me. Karnataka has not had cinema stars becoming successful politicians, while Rajkumar had the qualities, he was not interested. The furore created by film stars campaigning for Sumalatha is created by the media as they have never been in favour of JD(S),” he said.

Nikhil also lashed out at the BJP and accused them of resorting to tactics like income-tax raids to derail his campaign. On comments made about Sumalatha by his own party members, he said that he did not support them. “I am against personal attacks against anyone including Sumalatha. I want polls to be held in a dignified manner,” he said. 

Nikhil said that he was aware of a feeling of anti-incumbency against some JD(S) legislators, leading him to bypass them and approach the people directly. On Congress leaders supporting Sumalatha, Nikhil said that loyal Congressmen were not part of this group. 

In all the drama surrounding the fight for Mandya, Nikhil said he was hurt by the rift between him and Abhishek Ambareesh. The duo, once friends, have been having some difficulty marred by personal attacks, which Nikhil feels could be permanent.

Income tax sleuths raided the residence of Congress leader M S Atmananda in Mandya on Wednesday. The officials questioned the Congress leader and his family members about the source of their income. Sources said Rs 10 lakh cash and documents were seized. Atmananda has been given the responsibility to work on Nikhil’s campaign. So, as news about the raid spread, Atmananda’s supporters protested outside his house condemning the raid. Meanwhile, IT officials also carried out a search at a private hotel were JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy was staying. The officers visited the hotel and also searched other rooms were his supporters were staying.  The team of 25 officers conducted the raid. Sources said that the authorities went empty hand as Nikhil was campaigning in Pandavapura taluk.

Agencies

Lucknow, Apr 5 : Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to file his nomination papers from Amethi Lok Sabha seat on April 10, the first day of the filing of papers in the fourth phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh, party sources said here on Friday.
The UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also expected to file her nominations from Rae Bareli on the next day , on April 11.
UPCC (UP East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be present with them while they file their nominations.
According to the party sources, after filing of nominations in Amethi, Congress president would hold a road show and a joint rally along with his sister Ms Vadra.
On the next day, the Congress president and UPCC (UP East) will join the UPA Chairperson in filing her nomination papers and then will attend a joint rally at GIC ground in Rae Bareli.
Rahul Gandhi, who is also contesting from Wayanad seat in Kerala, is pitted against Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani.
In 2014 polls Mr Gandhi defeated Ms Irani by over one lakh vote.
However in Rae Bareli, BJP has fielded an old Congressman Dinesh Pratap Singh against Sonia Gandhi making the contest interesting.
In 2014 polls, Ms Gandhi had defeated BJP candidate Ajay Agarwal by over four lakh votes.
The polling in both Amethi and Rae Bareli seats would be held in the fifth phase on May 6. The nominations in this phase would commence from April 10.

Bengaluru, Apr 5 : Two construction workers were killed and eight injured, when a building under construction was collapsed in the wee hours at the APMC yard in Yeshvanthpur locality
in Bengaluru, on Friday.
According to official sources, the deceased were identified as Rakesh and Rahul, both were hailed from Bihar, and the injured were admitted to the Victory Hospital, in the city.
The incident occurred at about 0430 hours on Friday and about 30 to 40 persons were residing in the collapsed building, an eye-witness said.
The rescue operations were on and the disaster recovery personnel were pressed into action to save the trapped persons below the debris of the collapsed concrete structure, the sources added.
The police also reportedly arrested the contractor and the building engineer into the incident.
It may be recalled that about 15 persons were killed and many others injured in a similar incident in Dharwad recently.

BENGALURU: “All is well,” says Siddaramaiah tugging at his scarf with a flourish, exuding confidence, about the JD(S) and Congress alliance. That he has to harp on the wellness of Karnataka’s ruling coalition just weeks before the first round of polling on April 18, spoke volumes.  

“Haven’t we completed ten months in government?” he asks of the media group, called for a special interaction at Bangalore Press Club, on Monday. The former Chief Minister, however, did not shy away from admitting ‘minor’ nagging issues at the district levels, only to quickly add that those were being “weeded out”.

Brushing away the prevailing doubts, Siddaramaiah adds, “it’s been proved beyond all reasonable doubts that JD(S) and Congress transferred their votes together and registered big wins in the bypolls. Yes, there are a few differences but they will be solved gradually. Votes will get transferred to each other.”  While the ground reality may defy his statements, the coordination committee chief, pushed the idea of a successful joint campaign with confidence.F

Leaders and workers of the JD(S) are yet to begin a campaign for Congress candidates in 21 seats and leaders of the Congress are yet to actively seek votes for JD(S)’ candidates in seven other seats but Siddaramaiah claimed that all was well between the partners. Seniors from JD(S) like G T Devegowda and Sa Ra Mahesh have refused to campaign for the Congress in Mysuru citing rebellion in neighbouring Mandya district.

In Raichur, JD(S) leader Rangappa Naik has threatened to contest as an independent miffed over his party conceding the seat to Congress. Incumbent Congress MP Muddahanumegowda, who also skipped the joint rally on Sunday, has refused to campaign for JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda who is contesting from Tumkur.Despite the glaring differences and apparent disinterest to coordinate from district leaders, Siddaramaiah says that all is well. 

Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi won’t return to power, Siddaramaiah said that the BJP was refusing to speak on issues that actually matter. “They had swept Gujarat in 2014 but can they do that now? It is impossible for Modi to come back to power. They refuse to address real issues of farmers, poor, women, Dalit welfare, development and unemployment but use Pulwama to gain votes. They speak of Ram Mandir but people are tired of it,” Siddaramaiah said. He said that if the BJP was opposed to Congress’ NYAY scheme, it was opposed to the good of people.

Countering speculations over Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from a second seat — Wayanad in Kerala – Siddaramaiah recalled that Modi had contested from two seats in 2014 as well. “Rahul Gandhi is not scared of Smriti Irani. In fact, he will win with a big margin. When Modi contested two seats, nobody called it the downfall of the BJP,” he said.The former Chief Minister said the joint campaign of both parties for all 28 candidates will begin as early as Tuesday.

The Samajwadi Party patriarch won Mainpuri with huge margins in 1996, 2004, 2009, and 2014. Samajwadi Party has won the seat eight times, including bypolls, in a row since 1996. BJP could never win the seat.

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, accompanied by his son Akhilesh Yadav, filed his nomination from Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri on Monday afternoon for the Lok Sabha elections.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, the 79-year-old founder of SP, ruled himself out of the prime ministerial race. When asked who is the PM candidate of the SP-BSP alliance, he said, “It will be decided after the polls”.

On the eve of Mulayam filing his nomination, Akhilesh Yadav in Saifai had said that Mulayam will win by the biggest margin of votes in the country.

Relations between Mulayam Yadav and Akhilesh have been frosty ever since the son took control of the party more than two years ago. Mulayam didn’t campaign for SP in the 2017 assembly polls and often admonishes Akhilesh in public. Last month, Mulayam appeared to criticise Akhilesh for delay in naming candidates for the parliamentary polls and also questioned his alliance with Mayawati’s BSP.

Congress as well as the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) of Mulayam’s brother Shivpal Yadav are not fielding any candidate against the SP founder in Mainpuri. The BSP is fighting the elections together with SP, while BJP is yet to decide on a candidate against Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Mulayam Yadav won Mainpuri with huge margins in 1996, 2004, 2009, and 2014. Samajwadi Party has won the seat eight times, including bypolls, in a row since 1996. BJP could never win the seat.

Mainpuri is going to polls in the third phase, the notification for which was issued on March 28. The last date for filing nominations is April 4. So far, Mulayam Singh Yadav has been the only candidate who has filed nomination for the seat. The constituency largely has rural voters, with over 35% Yadavs.

Mulayam Yadav, who had been UP chief minister thrice, is still called ‘Mukhya Mantri’ by many in Mainpuri. He nurtured the constituency well and his ancestral village is part of this constituency. The village has a medical college, a medical research institute, an international cricket stadium, international all-weather swimming pool, two more stadia, airstrip, and more. During his term as UP chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav added the Agra-Lucknow Expressway to the list. The expressway passes through Mainpuri.

In 2009, Mulayam polled 3,92,308 votes (56.44%) and the first runner-up, BSP’s Vinay Shakya, was way behind with 31% vote share. Even during the Modi wave in 2014, when the BJP won 71 seats, Mulayam Singh Yadav won sailed through in Mainpuri. In fact, his vote share rose further. In 2014, Mulayam bagged 5,95,918 votes (60%) and his nearest rival, BJP’s Shatrughan Singh Chauhan, got only 23.14% vote share.

Samajwadi Party leaders say that because of BSP being an ally, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s vote share would go up further. If we combine the vote share of SP-BSP of 2014, it comes to a whopping 74%.

The constituency is now waiting for April 19, when Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh will hold a joint rally for Mulayam’s victory.

Apart from Mainpuri, Mulayam Singh Yadav had won parliamentary polls from Sambhal, Kannauj, and Azamgarh. In Mainpuri, he won four times (1996, 2004, 2009, and 2014); Sambhal twice (1998 and 1999); Kannauj once (1999), and Azamgarh once (2014). Twice he contested and won on two seats: In 1999 on Sambhal and Kannauj (later vacated); and in 2014: Mainpuri (later vacated) and Azamgarh.

Agencies