AMN / AGENCIES
As only four days are left for polling in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, political parties have intensified their campaigning across the country . Campaigning for this phase will end on Tuesday, April 9 and voting will be held on April 11.
91 Parliamentary constituencies spread over 20 states and Union Territories will go to polls in this phase.
These include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, Telangana and Uttarakhand.
Trinamul Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to hold a rally in the same venue tomorrow. Later in the day Mr Modi will also address a rally at Udaipur in Gomti district of Tripura and hold another rally in Manipur.
Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh will be campaigning for AIADMK candidates in various parts of Tamil Nadu today.
He will be addressing election rallies at Perambalur and Sivagangai in the afternoon.
BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address public meetings at Peddapalli and Yellareddy in Telangana and in Chittoor of Andhra Pradesh today.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi will address public meetings at Saharanpur, Shamli and Bijnore.
Meanwhile Leaders of Grand Alliance of SP, BSP and RLD in UP at a joint rally today appealed people to reject both BJP and Congress in the state.
At the first rally of the Grand Alliance in the state that sends 80 lawmakers to parliament, BSP chief Mayawati hit out at not just at the BJP but also the Congress. The Congress, Mayawati said, is fielding such people that it would play into the hands of the BJP. “Don’t split your votes. The Congress is not strong enough to give a tough fight to BJP… only grand alliance can fight the BJP,” she said, adding that her remarks were particularly addressed to the “people of the Muslim community”.
While she accused the BJP of “policies inspired by hatred”, she warned the people against succumbing to Congress’s promises about eradicating poverty through its Basic Minimum Income Scheme that involves payment of Rs. 6,000 a month.
“Instead of six thousand rupees, we promise jobs in government and private sector,” said Mayawati, whose decision to keep the Congress out of the alliance in the state has led to a three-cornered contest.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav while addressing the rally said : “We want to appeal to the BJP…in this holy period of navratris, you should pledge not to lie. The poor cannot get proper healthcare, we want to ensure free healthcare facilities for them. We want to make sure all candidates win with a huge margin so that the country can get a new Prime Minister”.
In 2014, we trusted a chaiwala, the poll promise of crores of jobs and so many other promises. Now we are being told to trust the chowkidar…. We will ensure the removal of chowkidars from all the chowkis, he asserted.
These people call themselves custodians of religion… But the don’t even know how to take a holy dip in the Kumbh. If you compare Congress, and BJP they just mirror images of each other, Congress doesn’t want to bring change, it’s only in pursuit of power.. You guys (BJP) are making tall claims about the electrification, it was our parties who ensured electrification of villages.
This Gathbandhan Is Not ‘Milawat’, This Is ‘Mahaparivartan’.
They call us ‘milawat gathbandhan’… they are drunk on power. This gathbandhan is not ‘milawat’, this for ‘mahaparivartan’. This is an alliance for electing a new Prime Minister. Our borders are still not secured… they have betrayed the country. This election is about change, this election is about bridging differences which they have created between us, says Akhilesh Yadav.
Taking a swipe at the PM Modi, Ajit Singh said, “What has PM Modi done in 5 years? PM Modi wasn’t talking about your acche din, but his own achche din.” He said that the BJP has come to power because of riots as they had no presence in the region.
Deoband is a town in the heart of Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh, where the Darool Ulum, one of the biggest learning centres of Muslims is located. The town and adjacent areas have a substantial Muslim population.