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All you need to know about the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019

OpIndia Staff
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All you need to know about the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019

The third phase of the elections is set to be conducted on the 23rd of April, 2019. It is perhaps the most crucial phase of the elections for the BJP and could prove crucial as to whether it crosses the magic mark of 272 on its own or falls short.

All the 20 seats in Kerala and 26 in Gujarat will go to polls today. 14 each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, 5 each in Bihar and West Bengal, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, 7 in Chhattisgarh, 6 in Odisha, 4 in Assam, 2 in Goa, 1 each in Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will be voting. Apart from these, the one seat in Tripura for which voting was postponed will also go to polls. Voting will be held in a total of 117 constituencies across 13 states and 2 Union Territories.

Heavyweights like Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Jaya Prada, Varun Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor will have their electoral fates decided today.

The BJP is expected to win at least 2 seats in Kerala this time around, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram. The former is the constituency of Sabarimala, the issue that is proving to be the dominating factor in the state. K Surendran is the BJP’s candidate from the constituency and he is considered a hero in the Battle for Sabarimala. He is immensely popular among the electorate and has earned the goodwill and respect of the electorate through his contribution towards the entire movement which includes going to jail to protect the sanctity of the deity. Apart from the two, the BJP is also in contention in Palakkad and Thrissur although victory appears unlikely at this point.

The Congress, too, is expected to make massive gains in Kerala in light of the atrocities committed by the Left government against the devotees of Swami Ayyappa. Congress President Rahul Gandhi is expected to win from his constituency, Wayanad, as the demography appears to be overwhelmingly in his favour. The Congress is expected to be the primary benefactor of the pervasive anti-Left sentiments in Kerala.

The BJP must perform well in the 28 seats in Karnataka and Maharashtra if it is to cross the magic mark of 272. Things are looking good for the party in both these states and it is expected to win a lion’s share of the seats. The Sena-BJP juggernaut appears to be dominating the fray while the Congress-NCP alliance looks in disarray. In Karnataka as well, things are not going smoothly for the Congress-JD(S) alliance. Therefore, the BJP has expected a benefit from internal squabbles as well.

In Orissa, which is one of the states where the BJP is looking to make significant gains to compensate for whatever losses it might suffer in Uttar Pradesh due to the Mahagathbandhan or elsewhere, it is again expected to be a critical battle between the party and the BJP. Sambit Patra, the amicable multi-talented spokesperson, is the BJP’s candidate from Puri and is certainly a seat to watch out for. Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack, too, go to polls on Tuesday as well.

In the 10 seats of Uttar Pradesh, it is again difficult to predict the results and where things stand as of now. The highlight would be the contest between Jaya Prada and Azam Khan at Rampur which in context of the latter’s despicable comments on the former SP leader assumes new significance. From the two phases completed in the state thus far, the momentum appears to be on BJP’s favour if pollsters are to be believed. However, every polling day is a new day and voters will again decide the fate of the parties involved.

While looking at other states, one looks at caste equations and demography and momentum and other factors. But when it comes to West Bengal, the primary cause for concern is polling malpractice and violence. The concerns were the same for the first two phases and it’s unlikely to change for the third phase as well. The Election Commission has sanctioned the use of Central Forces for over 90% of the booths. It’s expected to ensure a better state of affairs but in Didi’s Bengal, even Election Officers go missing. So it remains to be seen how things turn out on Tuesday.

In the rest of the states, the BJP will look to repeat its performance from 2014. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP is expected to lose a few seats given the results of the Assembly Elections last year. However, nothing is written on stones as yet and things may go in BJP’s favour. In Gujarat, the BJP has made a clean sweep the last time around. While that appears unlikely, it is Narendra Modi’s home state, however, and at his home, anything is possible.

Live Updates: One person who was standing in a queue to vote in Bengal killed after clashes break out between TMC and Congress worker

OpIndia Staff
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Live Updates: One person who was standing in a queue to vote in Bengal killed after clashes break out between TMC and Congress worker

The 3rd Phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections takes place today, on the 23rd of April 2019. 13 states vote today. The states which go to polls today are Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territories Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

It is perhaps the most crucial phase of the elections for the BJP and could prove crucial as to whether it crosses the magic mark of 272 on its own or falls short.

All the 20 seats in Kerala and 26 in Gujarat go to polls today. 14 each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, 5 each in Bihar and West Bengal, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, 7 in Chhattisgarh, 6 in Odisha, 4 in Assam, 2 in Goa, 1 each in Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will be voting. Apart from these, the one seat in Tripura for which voting was postponed will also go to poll today. Voting will be held in a total of 117 constituencies across 13 states and 2 Union Territories.

We will be updating this article with all the latest information during the first phase of polling today.

3:30 PM: A man standing in queue to vote is killed after clashes break out between TMC and Congress workers in Bengal.

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh casts his vote from Dispur, Assam.

PDP leader and former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also casts her vote in Anantnag district, Kashmir. Overall estimated voting in third phase has been 37.89% till 1:30 pm.

1:30 PM: Congress leader Hardik Patel makes a racist comment. Says we want a Prime Minister. If we want a chowkidar, we will go to Nepal.


12:15 PM: Gujaratis dance on their way to cast votes to celebrate the festival of democracy.


Congress leader Hardik Patel casts vote in Surendranagar constituency.

11:30 AM: Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav and other Samajwadi Party leaders rake up the EVM issue, Azam Khan’s son claims 300 EVMs not working while administration clarifies that only 25 EVMs had some glitches which were replaced soon. However, not letting facts get in the way of setting up an excuse Samajwadi Party chief insisted that EVMs are not functioning.

BJP workers reportedly beat up polling officer in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh alleging he was asking the voters to vote for ‘cycle’ (Samajwadi Party).

11:00 AM: Prime Minister’s mother casts her vote in Gandhinagar constituency. Activist Anna Hazare casts his vote in Ralegaon Siddhi in Maharashtra. Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani also cast his vote in Jamnagar.

Voter turnout in #Phase3 till 10 AM:
Kerala – 12.51%
Bihar- 14%
Gujarat – 18%
Karnataka- 10.62%
West Bengal – 16.85%
Chhattisgarh – 12.58%
Maharashtra – 6.97%
Dadra and Nagar Haveli – 11.40%
Daman & Diu – 9.93%
Odisha – 7.15%
Tripura – 5.83%
UP – 10.36%
Goa – 11.70%
J&K – 1.59%

10:00 AM: BJP President Amit Shah urges voters to participate and vote in huge numbers. Thanks the voters for voting. Wayanad records polling percentage of 11.87 till 9 am. In 2014, Wayanad had recorded a total voter turnout of 73.26%. Congress President Rahul Gandhi has chosen Wayanad as his second seat for contesting elections which is considered a ‘safe seat’ as compared to Amethi

Voting underway in Wayanad

BJP candidate for Rampur Jaya Prada does a Puja before casting her vote. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also arrives to cast his vote.

9:30 AM: BJP President Amit Shah, who is also contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Gandhinagar constituency casts his vote. Earlier senior BJP leader L K Advani held the seat which the BJP has been winning for almost two decades. After casting his vote, he moved on to another booth and meet and interact with voters and booth workers. Voting has also begun in Wayanad, Kerala where Congress President Rahul Gandhi is contesting from his second seat which is believed to be relatively ‘safer’ for his victory.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his wife too cast their votes in Rajkot.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan casts his vote in a polling booth in Talcher, Odisha.

Voter turnout till 9 am:

West Bengal: 10.97%
Bihar: 9.35%

9:00 AM: Violence reported in Bengal. As per reports, Trinamool Congress Councillor’s husband allegedly beaten up by TMC and Congress workers. Bombs hurled and huge forces have been mobilised. Reports of ‘supervised voting’ inside booths also pouring in.


Election commission orders removal of the presiding officer in Ratua in Malda district of West Bengal after unknown persons were seen assisting voters at the polling booth.

8:29 AM: Prime Minister Modi casts his vote.

8:21 AM: Prime Minister Modi arrives at the polling booth to cast his vote in Nishan Higher Secondary School in Ranip, Ahmedabad; BJP President Amit Shah also present.

8:00 AM: Prime Minister Modi takes his mother’s blessings at her residence.


7:45 AM: BJP President and party’s candidate from Gandhinagar Parliamentary constituency Amit Shah, near the polling booth at Nishan Higher Secondary School in Ranip, Ahmedabad. PM Narendra Modi will cast his vote at the polling booth, shortly.


7:30 AM: Tojammel Ansari, the husband of Majeda Bibi, Trinamool Congress councillor of ward 7 of Domkal municipality was hit with sticks on the head in before polling began. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. One of his associates was hit in the arm. TMC workers alleged that supporters of the Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) attacked him with sticks.

7:30 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at his mother’s residence in Gandhinagar. He will cast his vote in Ahmedabad, shortly.

Grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru’s personal barber and famous hairstylist Jawed Habib joins BJP, praises PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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Grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru’s personal barber and famous hairstylist Jawed Habib joins BJP, praises PM Modi

Famous hairstylist and entrepreneur Jawed Habib joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) today in New Delhi. Joining the party, Habib said that he too has become of chowkidar of the country now. “Aaj tak mai baalon ka chowkidar tha, aaj mai desh ka chowkidar ban gya hoon” (Till now I was a chowkidar of hair, now I have become a chowkidar of this country), said Habib.


Jawed said that he was happy with the changes brought by Prime Minister Modi over the last five years. “I am happy to join the BJP as I have seen the changes brought in the country by Prime Minister Modi in the last five years”, he said.

Habib said that no one should be ashamed of their background. Taking inspiration from PM Modi, he said that no one should be he was not ashamed to call himself a nai (barber) as Prime Minister Modi also proudly says that he was a chaiwalla (tea seller). “I think nobody should be ashamed of their background, when the prime minister is proud to state that he was a ‘chaiwala’ then why should I be ashamed of calling myself a ‘nai’ (barber),” said Habib.

Although Habib’s family is in the hairdressing profession for generations, they have been close with top leaders of the country. Habib’s grandfather Nazir Ahmed was the personal barber for India’s last Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, and first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Jawed Habib was born in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, as his family used to live there. His father Habib Ahmed is also a renowned hairstylist, who counted Jawaharlal Nehru and other famous persons as his clients.

Jawed Habib became an entrepreneur by expanding his family profession, and now Jawed Habib Hair and Beauty Ltd has over 800 salons in 24 states in the country. He also organises workshops and seminars on hairdressing, and has written several books on the subject.

Recently, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, who took to Twitter to extend his support for BJP, had joined the BJP a month after his wife joined the party.

Air Vistara senior officials visit Gen GD Bakshi, apologise for deleting the tweet honouring him

OpIndia Staff
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Air Vistara senior officials visit Gen GD Bakshi, apologise for deleting the tweet honouring him

Following the incident of being bullied by ‘liberals’ to delete a tweet welcoming Major General GD Bakshi onboard, Air Vistara sent two senior officers to the resident of the veteran to offer an apology over the incident.

On April 19, the official Twitter account of the Airlines had a picture of Major General Bakshi onboard an Air Vistara aircraft, and wrote that they were honoured to have him onboard and thanked him for his service to the nation. This had attracted criticism from some ‘liberals’ on the social media site who threatened to boycott the airlines for the tweet. After that the Airlines had deleted the tweet, and posted a statement saying that as the tweet had generated comments that were disrespectful to all parties concerned, they deleted it. They had stressed that the reason for deleting the tweet was negative comments directed at it.

As numerous hateful comments were directed towards the decorated officer for the tweet posted by the airlines, they decided to apologise by sending two senior officers. Major General Bakshi appreciated the move, and he posted on Facebook that it was a thoughtful gesture of consideration for the feelings of an old soldier. He also posted a photo, where it can be seen that Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, and Deepa Chadha, Senior Vice President – Human Resources & Corporate Affairs, had visited him. This shows that the company has taken the matter very seriously, as members of the senior management team decided to personally visit the veteran soldier.

He wrote that he was very happy to see that Airlines in India have started emulating their American Counterparts by honouring serving and retired soldiers on their aircraft. He noted that Americans go out of the way to welcome soldiers and thank them for serving the country, and this was catching on in India which has enraged some so-called Leftist Liberals. “They were ILLBERAL enough to put spiteful tweets against me which threatened to boycott Vistara”, he wrote.

Major General Bakshi wrote that Air Vistara should have stuck to their guns, but they were frightened enough to delete the tweet. He added that the story ends here with the gesture of the airline of visiting him personally and tendering an apology.

But he added that he is not sure about those virulent haters of the Indian Armed forces, who try to masquerade as the Voice of the nation. He commented that such liberals are out of touch with public opinion and pulse in the country. They need to look within and reflect, he concluded.

JNU’s missing Najeeb Ahmed case: Delhi court directs CBI to hand over closure report documents to his mother

OpIndia Staff
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JNU’s missing Najeeb Ahmed case: Delhi court directs CBI to hand over closure report documents to his mother

A Delhi court has ordered the CBI to hand over statement and document copies related to the closure report of Najeeb Ahmed’s case to his mother. Ahmed was a student of JNU at the time he went missing three years ago. The investigating agency has been given two weeks time by the court in this matter.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Naveen Kumar Kashyap has directed the CBI to present these documents in either physical or electronic form. He also ordered the investigating officer to appear in person before the court on May 7.

This order comes in the wake of the protest petition that was filed by Ahmed’s mother Fatima Nafee against CBI’s closure report. She had leveled allegations against the investing agency’s keenness to close the case. She questioned the decision to close the case in just two years when the investigation agencies have been successful in tracking people several years after their disappearance. She had even accused that the case was closed because the accused are ABVP students. Ever since her son’s disappearance, she has made desperate attempts to trace him without any success. She is unhappy about the fact that CBI has closed her son’s case in less than two years.

Najeeb Ahmed, an M.Sc student had gone missing from his hostel on October 15, 2016 following a tussle with fellow university students. He has been untraceable since.

The Delhi High Court had allowed the CBI to file a closure report in Ahmed’s case a few months ago. The court had also turned down Nafee’s plea to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate this case. However, the court had informed her that she was free to move the trial court to resolve any pending issues.

‘Liberals’ addressing Yogi Adityanath by his birth name is a reflection of their deep seated Hinduphobia

K Bhattacharjee
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‘Liberals’ addressing Yogi Adityanath by his birth name is a reflection of their deep seated Hinduphobia

In the sacred traditions of Hindu Dharma, it is mandated that once a person takes the vows of a Sanyasi, he ceases to be the individual he was until that moment. He takes a new name, shreds all ties with his family and dedicates the remainder of his life to the Gods above and Dharma.

Different sects within Hinduism have different rules and regulations, however, Sanyasis across all sects must adhere to the norms listed above. Where the sects differ is the manner in which its adherents are permitted to interact with worldly affairs whilst they are alive. For instance, adherents of certain sects abandon all earthly matters and must live out their lives in isolation while there are sects such as the Nath Sampradaya in which monks can be seen participating in politics and related matters.

Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, belongs to the Nath Sampradaya and like his Guru before him, he is an active politician in Uttar Pradesh. In history as well, there have been instances where monks of the Nath Sampradaya have taken up arms for the protection of Dharma in the sacred land of Bharata. He may be a politician but his foremost identity is that of a revered Saint of the Nath Sampradaya and the Mahant of Gorakhnath Muth, one of the most important Temples of the sect.

Certain political players in the garb of journalists and neutral commentators do not seem to understand this basic fact. According to them, it is dishonest on the part of Yogi Adityanath to not refer to himself by his first name. Some of them have even dared to compare his chosen name with the confusion that exists over Rahul Gandhi’s name. Apparently, Yogi Adityanath taking a new name as per the customs of Hindu traditions is equivalent to Rahul Gandhi attempting to hide his supposedly real name ‘Raul Vinci’.


It’s a grave insult to the Mahant of Gorakhnath Muth and sacred Hindu traditions. For all practical purposes, Ajay Singh Bisht died when he took the sacred vows of a Sanyasi and was reborn as Yogi Adityanath. There is great significance associated with that ritual. When Ajay Singh Bisht chose to forsake his name, he surrendered his ties with his family, he surrendered his attachment with his parents, his siblings, his friends and every person he had ever loved and cherished until that point. He gave it all up for Dharma as every Sanyasi does. Therefore, associating him with the name he was given at birth is a grave insult to the numerous sacrifices Yogi Adityanath and other saints like him have made in the service of Dharma.

Of course, it’s not too difficult to understand why efforts are being made to associate Yogi Adityanath with his previous name. A Sanyasi is an individual who has transcended the barriers of caste, creed, language and various other fissures within Hindu society. In Uttar Pradesh politics, where caste plays a great role, the appointment of Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister of the state helped the Bharatiya Janata Party avoid disturbing caste equations and further cement its efforts towards creating a coalition of Hindu votes.

Thus, political players at the behest of their masters seek to associate Yogi Adityanath with who he was before he took the sacred vows. Because Ajay Singh Bisht had a caste that could be used to tilt caste equations against the BJP. Yogi Adityanath, on the other hand, doesn’t. Unfortunately for them, every rooted Hindu understands the simple fact that a man or a woman in saffron has no caste, has no creed, has no other motive apart from serving the cause of Dharma. Thus, despite consistent attempts to brand him as Ajay Singh Bisht, Hindus on the ground are not buying it. And it’s extremely unlikely that they ever will.

Several other attempts have been made in the past as well to undermine the sacred vows of Yogi Adityanath but none as deplorable as the effort to equate Yogi Adityanath’s birth name with the confusion that surrounds the name of the Congress President. For instance, there was the occasion when a journalist was chastised for touching Yogi’s feet and taking his blessings. That gesture by the journalist was consistent with his faith as a Hindu. It does not imply that he cannot still perform his duty as a journalist.

Then, there was the incident when the Congress party and their sympathizers had mocked B.S. Yeddyurappa for bowing down to Yogi Adityanath at a rally. They do not seem to understand that Yogi Adityanath’s primary identity is that of a Monk and a Hindu bows down to Monks in respect regardless of their age.

Then there are some ’eminent citizens’ who have claimed that Yogi Adityanath does not have a clue about Hinduism. As educated citizens, we are asked to believe that a Sanyasi and the Mahant of Gorakhnath Muth does not have enough knowledge about Hinduism but people who make a living out of lecturing others on principles they themselves fail to adhere to do.

These are the same people who waste no opportunity in screeching from the very rooftops that Hindutva does not equate to Hinduism. They will spread negativity during every Hindu festival, denigrate every Hindu tradition, consume beef and insult Hindu religious beliefs every opportunity they get. And yet, we are supposed to take them seriously when they say, “I am a Hindu but I do not support Hindutva!”

The elevation of Yogi Adityanath to the seat of Chief Minister of India’s most populous state ruffled many feathers and it’s hardly surprising that they are throwing everything at him in the desperate hope that something will stick. However, insulting Yogi’s sacred vows and denigrating Hindu traditions by addressing Yogi Adityanath with his birth name does not appear, to me, to be a smart strategy.

While Western liberals believe that people are despicable bigots and ought to be jailed for hate speech for calling Caitlyn Jenner ‘Bruce’, their Indian counterparts cannot even respect Hindu traditions and observe the minimum courtesy of addressing a Saffron-Clad monk by his true name.

Watch: Digvijay Singh spreads the Rs. 15 lakh lie at a public rally, boy does a ‘surgical strike’ on him

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Digvijay Singh spreads the Rs. 15 lakh lie at a public rally, boy does a ‘surgical strike’ on him

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh was left red-faced after his political stunt during a public rally backfired massively. Singh, while addressing a public rally and attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tauntingly asked the people whether they received the amount of Rs 15 lakh in their accounts.


In response to Singh’s question a youth raised his hand. A shocked Singh who was not expecting a yes in the answer called the boy on stage and asked him whether he actually got 15 lakh in his bank account.

To this, he replied with a smile on the face, “Surgical strike karke Modiji ne atankvadiyo ko mara” (PM Modi conducted surgical strike to kill terrorists). As the boy was talking, he was interrupted in between and was pushed down the stage by a party member.

Despite the boy’s reply which implied that he did not bother about the Rs 15 lakh as long as the country’s security is taken care of, Digvijay Singh kept asking him whether he got the 15 lakh rupees in his account.

Interestingly, this Rs. 15 lakh trope is being spread by Congress and its functionaries for the longest time. In reality, the Prime Minister had never promised that he would transfer Rs. 15 lakh in every citizen’s account. He had also mentioned Rs. 15 lakh as an indication of the quantum of black money stashed abroad.

Digvijay Singh was among the people who had questioned the Balakot airstrikes and had asked the government for proof. His statement against the government was used by the Pakistani media to support their case. He is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Bhopal seat where BJP has fielded Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

PM Modi’s nuclear button remark offends Mehbooba Mufti, she gives a response before Pakistan could

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi’s nuclear button remark offends Mehbooba Mufti, she gives a response before Pakistan could

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief, Mehbooba Mufti came out in defence of Pakistan over Prime Minister Modi’s nuclear button remark.

Modi, during a public rally in Barmer, Rajasthan, had said that we are no longer scared of Pakistan’s threats of having a nuclear button. He stated about how India’s strong response to terror attacks had successfully called Pakistan’s nuclear attck bluff.

Taunting Pakistan, PM Modi had said that we also have nuclear bombs and we have not kept them for Diwali.


PM Modi remarks seem to have greatly offended Mufti who has recently been showing her secessionist colours.


Speaking on behalf of Pakistan, Mufti said that even Pakistan has not kept its nuclear bomb for Eid.”Jo Pakistan ke pass honge, vo bhi Eid ke liye nahi rakhe honge. Ye hissab baraabar hota hai”, Mufti said.

After the BJP expressed the commitment to repeal Articles 370 and 35A in its 2019 manifesto, Mufti threatened that the whole country along with the State of J&K would burn if that happened.

AAP Kerala convener suspended for extending support to Congress without permission

OpIndia Staff
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AAP Kerala convener suspended for extending support to Congress without permission

C.R. Neelakandan, the Convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Kerala, has been suspended and removed from his position for supporting the Congress party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The decision was taken on Saturday by the central committee of AAP after a meeting of the national leaders.

C.R. Neelakandan had announced on Thursday that the state division of the party would be supporting 11 candidates of Congress-led UDF and a single LDF candidate in Malappuram. He said that the decision was taken only on the advice of the national leadership to support candidates that can defeat the BJP.

“Initially, the national leadership had told us to support those capable of defeating the candidates of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The electoral scenario in each constituency in the State was different and the decision to support 11 candidates of the UDF was taken based on the feedback by district committees,” said Neelakandan in response to the central committee’s decision.

However, he said that the party’s decision not to support UDF was taken only on Saturday. Till then there was no specific direction other than to ensure the party was working against the interest of NDA.

He said “In many constituencies, the triangular fight is very close. Even a few thousands of votes may influence the verdict. Especially in the context of the Sabarimala temple issue, BJP is expecting huge support and hence in order to ensure their defeat we have to be careful in selecting the candidates whom we need to support. This needs a collective effort and a public declaration regarding our stand.”

The AAP leadership has issued a show cause notice with this regard criticizing the decision the support Congress. As reported by Outlook India, AAP leader Somnath Bharti has written a letter demanding an explanation from the state leadership regarding the various news reports that show AAP Kerala unit’s support to the Congress party. He said that decisions of such nature would only be taken up by the political affairs committee of AAP.

The report also records the statements of an AAP leader who said that the state leadership had taken the decision to support Congress only at the behest of Somnath Bharti. He says that Somnath Bharti was forced to issue the letter seeking an explanation. The central leadership wishes to support only the CPM led LDF in an attempt to defeat the BJP.

Neelakandan has said that he accepts the central committee’s leadership. However, he adds that this situation would have been avoided if the central leadership had given precise directions. Thufail PT has been appointed as the new AAP convener in Kerala.

With barely a day left for the elections, the rift between the national and state units of AAP has been exposed causing a major embarrassment for the party.

Karnataka CM confirms four JDS workers killed in the Sri Lanka bomb blast, 3 still missing

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka CM confirms four JDS workers killed in the Sri Lanka bomb blast, 3 still missing

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy confirmed on Monday that four members of his party, the Janata Dal (Secular), were amongst the five Indians killed in the series of simultaneous 8 blasts that rocked the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo and other places on Sunday.

Expressing shock over the devastating incident which killed nearly 290 people, including 5 Indians, and injured more than 500, Karnataka chief, took to Twitter to give away the names of the 4 JDS workers killed and the rest 3 who went missing. A 7-member team of JDS workers was touring Colombo (Sri Lanka) when this dastardly incident transpired.


The press officer of Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, Niteen Yeola, has released the names of the five Indian victims killed in the Sri Lankan bombing attacks. Apart from the four JDS workers, one Narayan Chandrashekhar has also been killed in the blast.

Yeola added that there are a few more Indians injured in the attacks, but their names have not been released.

The Indian high commission in Sri Lanka has just released two more names of Indians killed in yesterdays attacks. They are Vemurai Tulsiram and SR Nagaraj.

Sunday morning was marred with eight dastardly explosions in Sri Lanka. The blasts occurred at around 8.45am (local time) as the Easter Sunday masses were in progress in churches, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

The string of simultaneous and coordinated blasts occurred at 3 churches, namely, St. Anthony’s Kochchikade Church in Kotahena, Zion Church in Batticaloa and St. Sebastian Church in Negombo. At the same time, three luxury hotels in Colombo were also targetted: Kingsbury, Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand.

Two more blasts reportedly occurred in a hotel near Dehiwala Zoo in Colombo and in Sri Lankan suburb of Demantagoda.

Sri Lanka’s PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has reportedly admitted that they had been warned about possible attacks by an Islamist terrorist group. PM Wickremesinghe stated that despite the warning by intelligence agencies, Sri Lanka ‘failed’ to take adequate measures.

As per a report on News18, top intelligence sources have informed that Zahran Hasheem of the radical Islamist group National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ) had planned to carry out an Istishhad (suicide attack) in Sri Lanka. They had also conducted a dry-run and had placed explosive-laden motorcycle at Palmunai near Kattanakudi on April 16.

The report states that India had shared the intelligence input that the NTJ might carry out attacks in Churches and a hotel frequented by Indian nationals. The information was reportedly shared on April 4.

Yesterday, it was also reported that Sri Lanka’s police chief Pujuth Jayasundara had sent out a warning to top officials about the threat 10 days ago.

Sri Lanka’s government has said it will compensate the families of victims caught up in the attacks on Easter Sunday that killed 290 people.

24 people have so far been arrested in connection to the blasts. A curfew had been in place all over the island nation from Sunday evening to Monday morning. Social media and messaging services have also been shut down to curb the spreading of fake news.

In the latest, the Sri Lankan government confirmed that a local organisation named ‘National Thowheed Jama’ath’ (NTJ) was responsible for the terrorist attacks across three cities of Sri Lanka. Senaratne, in her statement, also said that the attacks were a “colossal intelligence failure” and admitted that despite receiving a prior warning, the attacks could not be prevented.

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