The Jammu and Kashmir administration has removed 12,963 defacements, including 3,815 posters and 3,320 banners, across the Union Territory to implement the Election Commission's model code of conduct in letter and spirit.

After the imposition of the model code of conduct (MCC) on March 16, when the Election Commission announced the schedule of the Lok Sabha elections, the poll machinery in Jammu and Kashmir swung into action to ensure that the apex poll body's guidelines are followed, the officials said.

Under the supervision of the chief electoral officer, flying squads and MCC teams removed 12,963 defacements from government, public and private properties across all the 20 districts of the Union Territory (UT), they said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday claimed winds of change are blowing across the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and predicted a "miracle" when votes polled in Bihar and Jharkhand are counted in June.

Seeking votes for party's Mumbai North-East candidate Sanjay Dina Patil during campaigning in suburban Vikhroli, the former Maharashtra minister alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) policy is to make opposition leaders join it or send them to jail if they refused to do so.

"The BJP's policy is (to make opponents join (them) or face (jail)," Thackeray said, hitting out at his former ally.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Wednesday claimed that the Lok Sabha election in Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency is going to be a one-sided affair, saying the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance here will be a "flop show".

Pathak, who accompanied BJP's Gautam Buddh Nagar candidate Mahesh Sharma during his nomination filing, also took potshots at the Samajwadi Party over changing its contestant on this seat.

The deputy CM also predicted that the BJP will win all 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Former Uttarakhand Congress unit vice president SP Singh 'Engineer' on Wednesday joined the BJP along with his supporters here. Welcoming them into the party fold, state BJP president Mahendra Bhatt said as in the rest of the country, the people of the state have also made up their mind on making Narendra Modi the prime minister for a third time with record votes. The massive turnout at the prime minister's rally in Rudrapur on Tuesday indicates the mood of the people, he said. Bhatt also asked Singh and his supporters to immediately join the election campaign. After formally joining the party, Singh said everyone is coming to the BJP after being impressed by the works of Prime Minister Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

 Former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who recently joined the Congress, on Wednesday seemed adamant about throwing his hat in the ring for Bihar's Purnea Lok Sabha seat, where ally RJD's candidate Bima Bharti filed her nomination papers.

Bharti, who joined RJD less than a month ago, was accompanied by Tejashwi Yadav, former deputy chief minister and heir apparent of Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad.

Tejashwi Yadav also addressed a rally at Purnea, urging people to vote for Bharti, a former minister and sitting MLA who recently quit the JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Pappu Yadav has been asserting that he will contest the seat he had won thrice in the 1990s, with the claim of "assurances" from Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

In a significant development at the Maharashtra Congress Meeting convened at Tilak Bhawan in Dadar, Mumbai on Wednesday the decision to remove Sanjay Nirupam from the list of star campaigners has been made. This move comes amidst growing dissent and internal strife within the party ranks.

The proposal to expel Sanjay Nirupam from the Congress party will now be forwarded to Delhi for further consideration. Sources indicate that the Congress disciplinary committee will deliberate on the matter before making a final decision.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday charged former Congress president Rahul Gandhi with having "run away from Amethi", Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh after his defeat at the hands of Union minister Smriti Irani. Gandhi lost to Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Amethi constituency. Addressing a press conference here, Prasad also alleged that Gandhi has shifted base to Wayanad "because of heavy concentration of Muslims and Christians" in the Kerala constituency, but claimed, "he is in for a tough fight there too". "Why has Rahul Gandhi run away from Amethi? He has won from there. Earlier, the seat had been represented by his father and late uncle Sanjay Gandhi. He should have had the courage to enter the fight", said the BJP leader.

Notably, while the BJP has announced that Irani will be seeking re-election from Amethi, the Congress is yet to declare its candidate for the seat, fuelling speculations that Gandhi might be reluctant this time, having tasted defeat in the 2019 general elections.

West Bengal BJP President and party's candidate from Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency Sukanta Majumdar, filed his nomination on Wednesday. 

Tripura CM Manik Saha was also present during nomination. 

 Boxer Vijendra Singh joined the BJP in New Delhi on Wednesday. 

"Congress has never contributed to a cohesive environment in the country. Be it Atal Bihari Vajpayee's or PM Modi's tenure, the country has been in more peace than Congress' tenure. Major riots in the country have happened in Congress' tenure. They never want unity between Hindu-Muslim. Congress party has an appeasement policy, hence, an anti-national party like SDPI is supporting them..." said Union Minister & BJP candidate from Dharwad parliamentary seat, Pralhad Joshi. 

 The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday declared four more candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, fielding Vaishali Darekar-Rane from the high-profile Kalyan constituency, currently represented by state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde.With this, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has so far declared nominees for 21 seats in Maharashtra, which will vote in five phases starting April 19.

Addressing a news conference, Thackeray also declared the candidature of Satyajit Patil, Bharti Kamdi and Karan Pawar from Hatkanangale, Palghar, and Jalgaon constituencies, respectively.

BJP candidate from Mandi and actor Kangana Ranaut carried out election campaign in Mahunag village in Himachal Pradesh. 

Odisha BJP vice-president Bhrugu Baxipatra resigned from his party and joined the BJD on Wednesday. 

Speculations are rife that the BJD will nominate him from the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, where he lost as a BJP candidate in 2019.

Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was discharged from ILBS hospital on Wednesday. Sanjay Singh was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the liquor scam case on Tuesday. He is likely to be released today. 

National Conference president and sitting MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah would not contest the Lok Sabha polls owing to his health. The announcement was made by his son and NC vice president Omar Abdullah at a party function in Rawalpora on the outskirts of the city.

"He (Farooq Abdullah) has taken permission from (party's general secretary) (Ali Mohammad) Sagar and other party members to not contest the polls this time because of his health," Omar Abdullah said.

 Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday administered oath to 12 newly elected members of the Upper House.

The oath was administered in Parliament House, where Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Secretary General P K Mody were present. Those administered oath are Dharmshila Gupta, Manoj Kumar Jha, Sanjay Yadav, Govindbhai Laljibhai Dholakia, Subhash Chander, Harsh Mahajan, G C Chandrashekhar, L Murugan, Ashok Singh, Chandrakant Handore, Medha Vishram Kulkarni and Sadhna Singh.

“Due to your hard work, new records are being made in polls”, said PM Modi in virtual address to Uttar Pradesh BJP workers.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday filed nomination from Wayanad seat in Kerala.

Mandya sitting MP Sumalatha Ambareesh has extended support to NDA for the upcoming Lok Sabha election on April 3. 

Congress sitting MP and candidate Rahul Gandhi conducted a roadshow in Wayanad - his constituency before filing his nomination. His sister and party's general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also accompanying him.

He said, "...Every single person in Wayanad gave me love, affection, respect and treated me as their own..."

Former Congress MP Shankar Pannu, former Congress MLA JP Chandelia, Congress leader Prithipal Singh and other leaders joined the BJP in Jaipur. 

Preparations are underway for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's roadshow in Wayanad, Kerala. He will file his nomination papers for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Wayanad seat today. CPI has fielded Annie Raja from this seat and BJP has fielded its state unit chief K Surendran from here. 
 

BJP sitting MP and candidate from GautamBuddha Nagar, Mahesh Sharma offered prayers at Sanatan Dharam Temple ahead of filing his nomination today. 
 

Kerala: CPI candidate from Wayanad, Annie Raja conducts a roadshow in the constituency ahead of filing her nomination. She will face Congress party's sitting MP and candidate Rahul Gandhi here.

 BJP MP from Jalgaon Unmesh Patil is set to join the Uddhav faction in the presence of UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray today, said Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami met people in the Periyar market area and distributed party pamphlets.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) issued a list of 40-star campaigners of the party for phase 1 and 2 of Lok Sabha elections.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and CPI candidate Annie Raja will file their nomination in Wayanad on April 3.