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Indian Political Highlights: Earlier it was asked why CBI, ED didn't act, now corrupt people are asking why agencies are acting, says PM ModiGood afternoon readers! The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has released the list of candidates for 21 seats for the April 19 Lok Sabha polls, retaining among other sitting MPs, Kanimozhi, TR Baalu and A Raja. On the other hand, the opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday named the first set of 16 candidates. Defections continue as parties vie to attract 'unhappy' leaders. Despite the March 20 notification date in many states, seat-sharing equations are still being finalised, like in Maharashtra and Bihar. Political barbs with an eye to Lok Sabha polls is all the rage as are defamation cases — from BJP minister Shobha Karandlaje remark against Tamilians to the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for his comments against Amit Shah. Thank you for tracking it all here, with DH.
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<div class="paragraphs"><p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi </p></div>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Credit: PTI Photo

After Kumaraswamy's salvo, BJP, JD(S) scramble to smooth wrinkles

Addressing a news conference, JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy clarified that there was no confusion in the alliance. His BJP counterpart B Y Vijayendra held talks with his party top brass as well as JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda to iron out differences.

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Row over 'sidelining' BJP's lone Muslim candidate at Modi's roadshow in Kerala

During the roadshow conducted in Palakkad on Tuesday, candidates of Palakkad and adjacent Ponnani constituency (Malappuram district), accompanied Modi in an open vehicle. However, BJP's Malappuram candidate Abdul Salam did not find a place in the vehicle.

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Children of five Karnataka ministers in Congress’ new list of 16 Lok Sabha candidates from state

The Congress’ Central Election Committee on Tuesday cleared tickets to 16 Lok Sabha segments in Karnataka, which include children of five state Cabinet ministers.

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Shobha Karandlaje retracts statement claiming Rameshwaram Cafe blast accused from Tamil Nadu after blowback 

Nomination process for first phase of LS polls on April 19 begins in 102 seats across 21 states and UTs with issuance of notification

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) to hold a parliamentary party Meeting under the leadership of Chirag Paswan in Delhi to chalk out strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Odisha Congress MLA Adhiraj Mohan Panigrahi resigns from all positions, including the primary membership of the party

AIADMK releases its first list of 16 candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024

DMK chief MK Stalin arrives at DMK HQ Arivalayam in Chennai, to release manifesto shortly

DMK releases manifesto for upcoming Lok Sabha elections

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju gets additional charge of Ministry of Food Processing Industries: Rashtrapati Bhavan

Police check vehicles in TDP leader Nara Lokesh's convoy at Undavalli owing to the Model Code of Conduct

Will make India world's third largest economy in my third term, says PM Modi at Startup Mahakumbh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits a stall during the inauguration of Start-up Mahakumbh at the Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi, Wednesday.

Credit: PTI Photo

BJP leader Jai Prakash Bhai Patel joins the Congress in Delhi

Tamilisai Soundararajan joins BJP in the presence of Union minister G Kishan Reddy and Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai at the party office in Chennai

After rejoining the BJP, former Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan says she admire PM

Tamilisai Soundararajan.

Credit: PTI Photo

"I am in my happiest mood. now. I don't think that I have left a very luxurious life and a constitutional post because I love serving the people. I admire our PM, the way he connects with the people. So, we also wanted to connect with the people and serve people directly...I have expressed it and I will be a candidate but High Command will decide which constituency."

Last 10 years have seen an 'assault' on fundamental pillars of democracy: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury

INDIA bloc parties are very deeply rooted amongst the people: CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury

Credit: PTI File Photo

LS polls will be crucial for determining whether India's secular democratic character will be maintained:CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury to PTI

BJP desperate to use EC against other parties: TMC's Sagarika Ghose

As the Lok Sabha elections approach, former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar 'certain' that he will get the ticket for Belagavi Parliamentary constituency

Shobha Karandlaje's 'anti-Tamil' remark continues to invite blowback; this time from Congress MP Manickam Tagore

Congress MP Manickam Tagore says, "It's an insult to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. A Union Minister, who is close to PM Modi, making a statement like that, shows that they hate Tamils and Tamil Nadu...Giving a statement in the morning and evening; tweeting it saying 'sorry' is not acceptable..."

'We have confidence that we will win all 40 seats in Bihar...': Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha after getting one Lok Sabha seat, one Legislative council seat in NDA alliance in Bihar.

Politicians from different parties are commenting on the sensational Budaun double murder case, trying to give it a political hue as UP gears up for the Lok Sabha polls

- State Congress President Ajay Rai said, "...There is a complete jungle raj in Uttar Pradesh...Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son who ran a car over protesting farmers, that minister has again got a ticket from Lakhimpur....I said earlier that the Uttar Pradesh CM should resign..."

Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "...Be it Hindu or Muslim, whoever has tried to take the law into his own hands in Uttar Pradesh has not been spared by CM Yogi Adityanath. The accused of Badaun has been brutally punished. He committed murder and also attacked the police, hence he was encountered..."

Samajwadi Party MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav said, "This is a very sad incident. Law and order under this government has completely failed. Encounter (of the accused) has been done, so how will the case be unearthed now?..."

Adhiraj Mohan Panigrahi joins BJD after quitting Congress in Odisha.

Panigrahi after joining BJD says, "...Taking inspiration from the ideals of the Chief Minister (Naveen Patnaik), I am joining the BJD today. I have never done the politics of tickets. I will work with whatever confidence the Chief Minister places in me. I have no complaints with Congress...I have worked in the Congress for 25 years...Congress gave me respect, I too gave them respect. But in today's situation, if you want to see the progress of Odisha, it is necessary to have the CM's blessings..."

'I have not joined Congress for any Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha ticket': Former BJP leader Jai Prakash Bhai Patel

Patel insisted that he had "clearly stated that I want to fulfil my father's dream, which I see happening only in the I.N.D.I. Alliance." Commenting on Patel's defection, Congress leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir said, "... In Jharkhand, many BJP leaders are joining Congress. In West Bengal, we are in touch with leaders of other political parties except BJP... Congress is being seen as an alternative and people are coming out in support..."

Meanwhile, seat-sharing in Bihar between INDI alliance parties will be finalised in the 'next couple days', says RJD leader Manoj Kumar

BJP candidate and former Haryana CM ML Khattar shifts base, rents house in Karnal

Credit: X/PTI

ED should respect the legal process and wait for the court's decision: AAP minister Atishi on Kejriwal case in HC

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri complains to EC about Rahul Gandhi's remarks on EVMs, central probe agencies and 'Shakti'.

"100%. I read out the exact thing of what he said and then we went and made a detailed presentation [to the EC]... He insulted the religious sentiments of a lot of people. He insulted 'Nari Shakti'..." said Puri to reporters after his meeting with the Election Commission. “If we listen to his (Rahul Gandhi) speech, he [also] said things about the EVM. He said if there was no ED, CBI or EVMs, then the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could not conduct an election campaign and win. We appealed to the Commission to take remedial and corrective actions.”

FIR filed against Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje in Madurai for remarks linking Tamilians with Rameshwaram cafe blast

Haryana CM Nayab Saini and ML Khattar attended the BJP State Election Management Committee meeting in Rohtak

West Bengal: BJP leaders and workers held a protest against the state government over the alleged attack on Union Minister Nishit Pramanik’s convoy, in Cooch Behar.

'Only for Muslim vote': Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar slams Congress' Shashi Tharoor over anti-CAA campaign in Kerala 

"I saw the Congress candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor getting a bit desperate about the anti-BJP vote. He and his INDI partner, the left, have engaged in a fairly planned effort at distorting what the CAA is to scare one community of people in Kerala. This leads me to one conclusion these candidates are more interested in fighting for the Muslim vote than really engaging in what this election is really about... This election is about the 15 years of performance of the sitting MP from here who expects us to forget and start talking about the CAA and anti-BJP vote. This is also about Congress' 10 years of governance when the people gave them a chance. This election is also about 10 years of the BJP government when the people gave Narendra Modi a chance to serve India..." said Chandrashekhar. He was in Thiruvananthapuram to witness former KPCC Executive Member and Congress Councillor for Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Maheshwaran Nair, join BJP.

Kunwar Danish Ali, BSP MP from Amroha, and Pappu Yadav, Chief of Jan Adhikar Party, join the Congress Party in Delhi

From left, former MP Lal Singh, Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali and Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav with Congress leader Pawan Khera, at AICC Headquarters, in New Delhi, Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

Credit: PTI Photo

'EC should increase security deployment there': Union Minister Shantanu Thakur on alleged Cooch Behar attack on BJP minister Nishit Pramanik's convoy

"Cooch Behar constituency is a very sensitive area and we saw this during the Vidhan Sabha elections also. BJP voters were intimidated and elections could not be held properly... Election Commission should increase the security deployment there..."

On joining the Congress party and Article 370, former Jammu and Kashmir Minister Choudhary Lal Singh says, "I will show the roadmap...Article 370 is in the Constitution of India. It is given by the Indian Constitution...."

Assam Congress's Bhanwar Jitendra Singh says defections to BJP purely out of fear from central probe agencies

AICC Assam in-charge Bhanwar Jitendra Singh said, "Those who leave Congress, the most commonly observed pattern was that they were being followed by the ED and I-T and these methods were used to lure people into BJP. On the other hand, those who join Congress, come to us based on an ideology. Today, many senior leaders joined Congress..."

DMK's complaint against Karandlaje: EC seeks immediate action for alleged model code violation

'...finalized at least 12 seats and tomorrow morning we have a meeting with Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray': Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Maha Vikas Aghadi seat-sharing negotiations

'Maha Vikas Aghadi is intact and we are all going together...': Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala

'I visited the Adilabad Lok Sabha constituency today. I saw enthusiasm among the public and party workers...': Union Minister Arjun Munda on BJP's preparations in Telangana.

'Let the truth come out. If the opposition is going to get exposed, then why are they keeping this?': Congress leader K C Venugopal on electoral bonds

Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had said the Opposition won't be able to face anyone if all details of Electoral Bonds come out.

Earlier it was asked why CBI, ED didn't act against the powerful, now powerful corrupt people asking why agencies acting against them: PM