Press Trust of India

Famed music composer Bappi Lahiri, contesting the Lok Sabha polls on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, Monday filed his nominations from the Sreerampur parliamentary constituency in West Bengal.

Accompanied by his son, daughter and son-in-law, Lahiri filed his papers for the seat which comprises parts of Hooghly and Howrah districts.

The effervescent 61-year-old music composer has promised to bring in Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and melody queens Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle to boost his campaign.
(IANS)

Polling percentage in five parliamentary constituencies of Assam was expected to cross 75 percent while an 84 percent turnout had been seen in one constituency of Tripura, the Election Commission said Monday.

“Till 5 p.m., voter turnout in Assam was 72.5 percent and the people were still in queue to vote. The balloting might cross 75 percent. Tripura recorded 84 percent by that time,” said an election commission official.

In 2009, these Assam seats had recorded a total of 69.60 percent voting, while the Tripura constituency had recorded 86 percent.
(IANS)

The Election Commission Monday issued notice to BJP leader Amit Shah for violating the model code of conduct through his speeches made while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh.

The commission asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, considered close to party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, to explain within three days as to why action should not be initiated against him for violating the model code while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli, Bijnor and Muzaffarnagar districts.

A whopping 1,616 registered political parties are in the fray in the 2014 general elections, an increase of 556 since the last 2009 polls, according to the Election Commission.

The number of registered parties in 2009 general elections was 1,060.

Candidates of parties which register themselves with the Election Commission get preference in the matter of allotment of free symbols as compared to those who seek to contest the polls as independent candidates.

BJP leader Narendra Modi’s 3D rallies in 100 cities, including nine locations in Delhi Monday evening have been cancelled due to “technical issues”.

“Today’s (Monday) event has been cancelled due to technical issues,” a Bharatiya Janata Party official said.

Modi’s 10-feet-tall virtual image was to address over a 1,000 rallies in 100 cities including Delhi between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Eight of the 10 candidates in the fray in Meghalaya’s two parliamentary constituencies that go to polls Wednesday are millionaires.

The ruling Congress in the state is pitted against fractured regional parties for the two Lok Sabha seats in this mountainous northeastern state, where elecrtions are to be held April 9.

Meghalaya has two parliamentary constituencies – Shillong and Tura. Eight of the 10 candidates for these are crorepatis.

Votes can be cast from 7 a.m to 5 p.m. April 9.

A galaxy of BJP bigwigs came together to release its much delayed manifesto Monday, but an iciness between prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and manifesto committee chief Murli Manohar Joshi was evident.

The apparent differences that caused delay in release the of the manifesto – happening on the first day of Lok Sabha poll – were sought to be glossed over with presentation of a united face in public and before cameras.

Over 83 percent of the 1.2 million electorate Monday cast their ballot as polling was held in one of the two Lok Sabha constituencies in the Left-ruled Tripura, an official said.

No untoward incident was reported as balloting took place in West Tripura constituency, police and election officials said. “Polling was absolutely peaceful,” an officer added.

The Election Commission Monday removed nine West Bengal officials including five distict police chiefs and one district magistrate from their posts and ordered they be kept away from Lok Sabha polls-related duty, said an official.

The order, which came a day after the full bench of the poll panel held wide consultations with state officials and political parties, was sent to the state Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra during the day.

The BJP Monday said it would give high priority to water security and provide piped water to all households.

The party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha election released Monday had a sub-head on water which talked about the increasing gap between demand and supply of water in the country.

It said the party would launch the “Pradhan Mantri Gram Sinchayee Yojana” with the motto of “har khet ko paani (water for every field)”.