Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE: 'I Welcome Govinda', Says Eknath Shinde After Actor Joins Shiv Sena

Bollywood actor Govinda, a mass entertainer of the 1990s who is known for his excellent comic timing and dance steps, on Thursday joined the ruling Shiv Sena in Mumbai, making a comeback in politics after a 14-year hiatus. The former Congress Lok Sabha MP joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the time of election season. Govinda, who gave multiple superhit films in his decades-long career, made a blockbuster entry in electoral politics in 2004. That year, the "Hero No. 1" actor emerged as a "giant killer" when, as the Congress candidate, he defeated BJP stalwart Ram Naik in the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat. Shinde welcomed the 60-year-old actor into his party, saying he was a popular figure in all sections of society.

 The Congress in Maharashtra on Thursday set up four committees tasked with handling various matters related to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and one of them will be headed by party veteran and former chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde. Shinde, also a former Union minister, will head the 31-member coordination committee of the Congress in the state, the opposition party said here.

Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa on Thursday announced the nomination filing for the second phase of the seven-phase parliamentary elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Eight parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh -- Amorha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambuddha Nagar, Bulandshahr (SC), Aligarh, and Mathura -- will vote in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 26.

No nominations were filed on any of these seats on Thursday, said Rinwa.

According to the Election Commission, the notification for the polls were also issued on Thursday, with April 4 being the last date for filing of nominations.

The scrutiny of nominations will be done on April 5 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 8. The counting of votes will take place on June 4, the EC said.

Former BJP MP from Jharkhand Ram Tahal Choudhary joined the Congress on Thursday and accused the saffron party of being dictatorial.

Choudhary joined the Congress at the AICC headquarters in the presence of Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, AICC in-charge of state Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam, senior leader from the state Subodh Kant Sahay and AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera.

"Impressed by the policies of the Congress, I have joined the party today. Just a couple of months before the elections, I was asked to give in writing that I will not contest the elections. I said it's dictatorship and resigned then and there (from the BJP)," Choudhary, the five-time former MP, said after joining the Congress.

Welcoming Choudhary, Mir said Ram Tahal Choudhary is a prominent name in Jharkhand and is known for his service, dedication, participation in several movements and a long political career.

 Samajwadi Party's Moradabad MP S T Hasan, who filed his nomination from the seat despite being denied the ticket by the party, on Thursday said he will not contest the Lok Sabha polls.

However, Hasan has not officially withdrawn his nomination papers filed on Tuesday. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is March 30.

Confusion prevailed for several hours Wednesday after two candidates each in Rampur and Moradabad parliamentary constituencies claimed to be the SP's official nominees. SP leaders Muhibullah Nadvi and Asim Raja filed their nominations from Rampur while party leaders Ruchi Veera and Hasan from Moradabad.

The party later clarified that Muhibullah Nadvi from Rampur and Ruchi Veera from Moradabad are its authorised candidates.

Raja is considered close to jailed SP leader Azam Khan.

On preparations regarding the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh said, "There are by-elections and Lok Sabha elections, so we are in a mode where we need timely guidance from senior people. Yesterday in the coordination committee meeting we discussed who should be our candidates. We want to field good candidates and win this election and re-stabilise the government."

On veteran Bollywood actor Govinda joins Shiv Sena, Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora said, "I have known Govinda for almost 25 years. In 2004, we both fought elections together. My late father had brought him to Congress. He is a man with a clean heart, and he wants to represent the creative industry and the cultural capital of the country, Mumbai."

The Odisha unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday organised a day-long fasting against the arrest of Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in relation to the Delhi excise policy case.

Actor Govinda on Thursday joined Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. Speaking on joining the party, Govinda said, “I had thought I would never join politics but after 14 years of exile, I finally decided to join Shiv Sena. I feel fortunate.”

Bollywood stars Govinda, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Karishma Kapoor were spotted at the official 'Varsha' bungalow of Maharashtra Chief Minister Shinde.

 The top Congress leadership is likely to hold a meeting of its Central Election Committee (CEC) here on March 31 to discuss and finalise the remaining candidates for the Lok Sabha polls starting April 19.

Sources said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, besides other senior leaders and members of the CEC, are likely to attend the meet.

The sources said the names of the candidates that would be discussed during Sunday's CECs meeting would include those to be fielded from Delhi and Maharashtra.

The Congress has so far announced a total of 208 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls that are scheduled to be held in seven phases staring April 19. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.

The Congress will announce the names of its remaining candidates for the four Lok Sabha constituencies of Jharkhand by April 1, a party leader said.

The grand old party had announced the names of candidates for Lohardaga, Khunti and Hazaribag on Wednesday evening, following a go-ahead from the Congress’ Central Election Committee (CEC).

Kalicharan Munda, Sukhdeo Bhagat and Jai Prakashbhai Patel will contest the polls in Khunti (ST), Lohardaga (ST) and Hazaribagh seats, respectively, the party had announced in New Delhi.

"Congress will announce the remaining candidates for four seats by April 1, while a consensus on seat-sharing is likely by tomorrow," the party leader told PTI.

BJP leader Ram Tahal Choudhary joined the Congress ahead of Lok Sabha polls on Thursday. 

“Ram Tahal Choudhary is a big name in Jharkhand. He is known for his service, dedication, participation in several movements and a long political career. When the BJP did not recognise him, he contested the polls as an Independent candidate and even today, he is valued there (in Jharkhand),” said Congress leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir. 

Bhartruhari Mahtab joined BJP on Thursday, March 28. The MP from Cuttack resigned from the BJD on March 22.

“Lalu Yadav is showing Congress its place. They're on Lalu Yadav's mercy. Today is the last day of filing nominations, but Congress is clueless. There is nothing like INDI alliance anymore. They have no agenda left,” said Giriraj Singh. 

Incumbent MP D K Suresh, who was the only Congress candidate to win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, on Thursday filed his nomination from Bangalore Rural constituency for the April 26 polls.    

The 57-year-old younger brother of  Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar was accompanied among others by Ramanagara district in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

"JJP will contest on all 10 seats (in Haryana) Candidates will be announced soon...It is clear that this is Congress' last election.." said JJP leader and former deputy CM of Haryana, Dushyant Chautala 

On her possible candidature from Patiala Lok Sabha seat, BJP leader Preneet Kaur says," If BJP wants, then I will contest (from Patiala)."

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to hold a meeting this evening in Mumbai to sort out differences within the alliance. 

Karnataka Congress President and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar accepted that the party is under pressure on the Kolar Lok Sabha seat. Shivakumar said, "There is pressure from candidates for election ticket from Kolar. It will be discussed in a meeting with the CM. No one will resign from the party over this. All party leaders will work together in Kolar." 

Asked about star campaigners from Congress, Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, "AICC President is from Karnataka itself. We have requested Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to visit Karnataka. Considering they have to travel across the country for campaigning, we can’t expect them to spend many days in Karnataka."

Bhartruhari Mahtab on Thursday is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after resigning from the BJD on March 22.

On Thursday, the notification for the second phase of polling in five Lok Sabha seats of Assam on April 26 an election official said.

Voting will take place in Nagaon, Darrang-Udalguri, Diphu (ST), Silchar (SC) and Karimganj during the second phase.

In the first phase, 38 candidates filed their nominations for the Kaziranga, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur constituencies.

Former Haryana Congress Minister Savitri Jindal resigned ahead of the general elections. Taking to X, she posted, “I represented the people of Hisar for 10 years as an MLA and have served Haryana state selflessly as a minister. The people of Hisar are my family and on the advice of my family, I am resigning from the primary membership of the Congress Party today. I will always be grateful to the Congress leadership for its support and to all my colleagues who always gave me their support and respect.”

NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar arrives at the party office, to meet party leaders to finalise candidates for Lok Sabha elections 

Shiv Sena names alliance leaders including PM Modi and Amit Shah as star campaigners for the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections

Heavy security deployed at the polling station in Mahabubnagar, Telangana as polling for MLC seat kicks off. 

Altogether 42 candidates, including Union minister Nisith Pramanik, filed their nominations for the first phase of polling in three Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal on April 19. 

Trinamool Congress candidate from Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat will begin her election campaign from today. 

DMK candidate from South Chennai DMK and party's sitting MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian began her election campaign from T Nagar in Chennai. DMK and alliance party cadres gathered in her support. 

YSRCP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday alleged here that a host of opposition parties – TDP, Janasena, BJP, Congress, select media houses, and two of his sisters are waging a battle against him. Addressing a public meeting at Proddaturu in Kadapa district as part of ‘Memanta Siddham’ (we are all ready) election campaign bus tour, the YSRCP chief said all of them are “united in a battle against one man”.

The process of filing nominations for 88 parliamentary seats across 12 states in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections began on Thursday.

The notification for the second phase of the parliamentary polls -- to be held on April 26 -- was issued by the Election Commission on behalf of the president early on Thursday.

Navneet Rana, an incumbent MP from Amravati, joined the BJP in Nagpur late on Wednesday night in the presence of the party's state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

“...For a national party to entrust such a big responsibility on a person only shows that the senior leadership of the party is with those working at the ground level...Now that I have joined BJP, I will work with full dedication,” said Navneet Rana. 

MDMK MP from Erode, Ganesamoorthy passed away at 5:05 am on Thursday due to cardiac arrest. He was hospitalised on March 24 after allegedly attempting suicide.