Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for changing the work culture and perception about democracy by undertaking all round development in the country. Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s office, was addressing a public rally after inaugurating the agri start-up exhibition in Doda district, which is part of his Udhampur parliamentary constituency.

This was the minister’s first visit to Doda after he was given a ticket for the third time to fight the Lok Sabha elections from the constituency. He had won the last general elections by a margin of over 3.5 lakh votes. “It is a matter of happiness that Modi has been able to change the work culture and perception about democracy by undertaking all round development and ensuring delivery of schemes as and where needed,” news agency PTI quoted Singh as saying.

He said the government has reignited those hopes which had faded and rekindled aspirations among the youth who had resigned to their fate due to the prevailing work environment. “All the works have been carried out with an urge to serve the general public from the core of the heart and to provide the benefits rising above the politics of caste, creed and religion. The prime minister has sought to create a new work culture in politics which our successors will be bound to follow,” Singh reportedly said.

Home Minister Amit Shah has alleged that the top brass of the Congress and the RJD always worked for the interest of their families but did not do anything for the poor. Addressing a rally of the BJP OBC Morcha in Patna's Paliganj area, he said that it is only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP who can do good for the poor. "The top brass of the Congress have always taken care of their families. In the name of backward people, Lalu ji also lived his entire life for his family. Sonia Gandhi's only goal is to make Rahul Gandhi the prime minister, while Lalu ji's aim is to make his son the chief minister," news agency PTI quoted Shah as saying.

Jharkhand BJP general secretary Pradeep Verma will be the party's candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls in the state, news agency PTI reported on Saturday, quoting party spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo. Verma will file his nomination on March 11. The biennial elections to two Rajya Sabha seats from the state will be held on March 21, an official told PTI.

On BJP-BJD Alliance, state BJP election in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar says, "There has been discussion among us with regards to the alliance. We only talk about the number of seats we'll be contesting, what is our situation in the state, and other political aspects. There is no such thing as an alliance in our knowledge... BJP is ready to contest 147 Vidhan Sabha seats and 21 Lok Sabha seats. I am confident of BJP forming the government and 80 of our Vidhan Sabha candidates and more than 16 Lok Sabha candidates will definitely win in Odisha..."

MNS chief Raj Thackeray took a dig at his cousin and UBT Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today. He said, “In the movement against the loudspeakers, which were creating unrest in the mosques, the loudspeakers were stopped, but this coward government has registered a case against 17000 of my colleagues, Uddhav Thackeray's government has registered a case against itself. Called a big Hindutvaist. Give power to us once, I will stop the disturbing loudspeakers. Let's see who has the courage to stop me. Raj Thackeray said in Nashik on the foundation day of MNS party.”

On seat sharing in Maharashtra, BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "Positive discussions were held in Delhi regarding seats in Maharashtra. 80% of the issues have been resolved. Discussions are underway on the remaining 20% issues. I am confident that we will resolve all issues and form a good alliance."

Responding to the speculations on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joining NDA, Fadnavis said, "MNS has taken an extensive stand, this is not different from our stand. We believe in regional pride. The rights of 'Marathi manush' must be protected in Maharashtra and they must play a wider role. MNS has spoken about Hindutva, besides 'Marathi manush'. So, there is not much difference between the stand of MNS and BJP. As far as elections are concerned, it is a matter of discussion. Right decisions are taken at the right time."

MNM chief and actor Kamal Haasan on Saturday denied contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, he said that his party will support the DMK during the polls. Addressing media personnel at the DMK office in Chennai with Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, he said, "Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is not contesting (the Lok Sabha elections), the party will support and campaign. One seat for MNM in Rajya Sabha (in 2025)." 

On Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), President of Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi, Prakash Ambedkar said, "The current situation of MVA and progress on seat sharing, about which I have said many times, has not stopped because of us. There are 10 seats where there is no coordination between Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) and Congress. There are 5 seats which are being demanded by NCP (Sharad Pawar), Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray). So in total, there are 15 seats out of 48 in which they do not have coordination and because of this lack of coordination, I think their talks (on seat sharing) are not going ahead. We go to the meeting, have coffee and biscuits and request them to coordinate with each other so that we can put forward our demands."

Final pact on seat sharing between the BJP, TDP and Janasena in Andhra Pradesh has been formalised, claim sources.

According to the claims being made, it has been decided that the BJP will contest on 5 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh, Janasena on 3 Lok Sabha seats and on rest of the 17 seats the TDP will contest.
 

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu and JanaSena party leader Pawan Kalyan are present at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence for the second round of seat-sharing talks ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Launching an scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, "Rahul Gandhi can change his seat or state but his defeat is certain. The public feels cheated."

Former-Union Minister Suresh Pachouri, after joining the BJP on Saturday, said that he was deeply hurt by the decisions that the party took in matters of public and religious significance.

“The Congress party has deviated from the very principles it has held and stood for,” Pachouri added.

SP Muddahanumegowda, the Congress candidate from the Tumakuru Lok Sabha constituency, is a turncoat, who won in 2014 as a Congress candidate from Tumakuru Lok Sabha constituency.

However, in 2019 the seat was given to former PM HD Devegowda as the Congress and JDS were in an alliance. Following which he left the Congress in 2019 and joined the BJP. In 2024 he again rejoined the Congress and now has been announced as a candidate from Tumakuru Lok Sabha Constituency.
 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday launched its Lok Sabha elections 2024 campaign with the slogan “Sansad mei bhi Kejriwal, toh Dilli hogi aur khush haal“. A member of the INDI Alliance, AAP has pitted itself against the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Launching the campaign at AAP’s headquarters, Delhi CM and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the BJP, the Centre and the national capital’s Lt Governor for allegedly stalling the works of his government and appealed to the people to give their blessings by ensuring victory for all seven candidates of AAP-Congress combined.

Kejriwal’s Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann was present alongside him during the campaign launch.

Congress leader Venkatarame Gowda (Star Chandru) has been fielded by the party from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. Gowda is a businessman and brother of independent candidate and sitting Independent MLA from Gowribidanuru, Puttaswamy Gowda.

Congress leader Shreyas Patel, who has been fielded by the party from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, is the grandson of Puttaswamy Gowda who had defeated the former JDS Supremo and former-PM HD Deve Gowda from Holenarasipura assembly constituency. Shreyas Patel, who hails from the prominent Vokkaliga community, is considered to be a formidable candidate to tackle Prajwal Revanna's muscle and money power, says source. 

In 2023, he had lost out to HD Revanna in the assembly elections by a close margin.

Geetha Shivarajkumar, daughter of former-Chief Minister Bangarappa and elder sister of minister Madhu Bangarappa is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from the Shivamogga constituency against BY Raghavendra who is the sitting MP of Shivamogga. She has been fielded by the Congress to bank on Ediga votes which is a dominant community in the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency, say sources.

Amid speculations about former-Union Minister Suresh Pachouri joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today, sources claimed that along with the senior Congress leader, his supporters Atul Sharma, Kailash Mishra, former district president Congress, Sanjay Shukla, Vishal Patel and many other big leaders will also join the saffron party in Madhya Pradesh's capital city Bhopal. 

On PM Modi's scheduled visit to Siliguri today, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said, "The kind of misgovernance that is going on in Bengal, the law and order issues, the corruption here - people want change. People don't trust the government. So, they want to come with Modi. The PM too wants to assure the people that only the BJP can provide good governance here."

In another jolt to the Congress Party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, former Union Minister and Congress leader Suresh Pachouri is likely to join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The former-Minister of State for Ministry of Defence, Pachouri is likely to join the saffron party at around 9.15 am.