On PM’s campaign trail
PM Modi launched scathing attacks on Rahul Gandhi and the Congress while addressing rallies in Meerut in western U.P and Rudrapur in Uttarakhand.
Reporting on the rally today in Meerut, the Times of India reports the PM’s invoking the contribution of the late Jat leader Chaudhury Charan Singh, who also happens to be the father of RLD leader Ajit Sing, an alliance partner with SP-BSP.
PM Modi recalled India’s recent list of ‘surgical strikes’ across all theatres – land, sky and space. He credited the success of the anti-satellite missile test conducted by DRDO and ISRO to the scientists and at the same time blamed the Congress for delaying the test when the technology was available with the country for some time. He said the Lok Sabha elections would be a fight between a ‘Dumdaar Chowkidar vs. Daagdaar opposition.’
In Rudrapur, the PM accused the Gandhi family of delaying the procurement of the Raphael fighter aircraft as it was seeking ‘malai’ or commissions and didn’t care for the country’s security. He said his party was committed to the country’s security.
Setback for BJP as IPTF breaks alliance in Tripura
India Today reported BJP’s plans of further strengthening its hold in the northeast faced a setback today with the Indigenous People Front of Tripura (IPTF) deciding to break away from the BJP in the forthcoming elections. IPTF in alliance with the BJP holds 9 of the total 60 seats in the Tripura State Assembly. The alliance controls 44 seats in the assembly.
IPTF announced it would contest against the BJP, Congress and the Left Front for the two Lok Sabha seats of Tripura East and Tripura West.
The break is significant since Tripura has a large population of tribals and they collectively represent a significant share of the voting population. Though the BJP state government is not immediately at threat since it holds a majority, the IPTF separating is certainly a set back to the party’s plans just two weeks before the polls.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra open to contest Lok Sabha polls
Congress star campaigner dropped a big hint that she may contest the Lok Sabha elections if the party demanded. On the campaign trail, Priyanka Vadra speaking to reporters confirmed her willingness to contest the elections. It created a buzz among political analysts who went into overdrive in predicting which seat she would contest from in case she decides to jump in. Her entry into the poll fray will certainly enthuse Congress party cadres but leaves her little time to reach out to voters with less than fifteen days to polls.
Fake news: a threat to Lok Sabha polls
Fake news, in general, is a threat faced by the global community and India is no exception. Times of India quotes Shivam Shankar Singh, ex-BJP head of data analytics and media for Tripura and Manipur state assembly elections, during the release of his book “How to Win and India Election: What Political Parties Don’t Want You to Know.”
In the book, Singh highlights how all political parties circulate fake news and content on social media platforms to influence voter opinion. The books also narrate how the BJP were first movers to use technology and social media platforms to build an anti-Congress narrative in the run-up to the 2014 elections.
