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LUCKNOW: The visible anger in powerful Thakur-Rajput community which constitutes 10 per cent of total votes in the population of Uttar Pradesh can spoil chances of BJP candidates in eight seats of Western UP going to poll in second phase on April 26.

Narendra Modi “spreading fear” among Hindu women by claiming that the Congress would not even spare their mangalsutra if it comes to power, as well as maligning Dr Manmohan Singh for his reflection on share of power to the minorities, such as Muslims, are the top headlines this election season. A couple of days back, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh while addressing a rally in West Bengal, openly challenged that no mother’s son can dare to repeat the incident of Sandeshkhali if the BJP government is formed in the state.

Winning Karnataka is central to the BJP’s plans to make deeper inroads into the south. The saffron party tasted power for the first time in South India in 2008, when B S Yediyurappa formed the government in Karnataka despite falling short of a majority. While a clear majority has been evading the BJP in the assembly polls, it has broken the Congress monopoly in the state and paved the way for alternatives (coalition government). Another significant shift has been the BJP emerging as the preferred party in parliament elections. Since 2004, when the party bagged 18 of 28 seats, the Congress has been reduced to single—digit results.

Illegality and bribe are unacceptable under any circumstances. But so is tarring those with the same brush who did not indulge in these unlawful practices and obtained teaching and non-teaching jobs from 2016 School Service Commission test in West Bengal.

The second phase will be between ‘Mangalsutra’ and ‘Muslim’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, to a lesser extent, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have seen to it. The Congress manifesto mentions “encouraging Muslims” to fight for their rights, but later in the document chooses “ensuring Muslim rights”, raising doubts on the party’s intentions bolstered by the charge that the Congress never loses an opportunity to appease Muslims.

The elections for the18th Lok Sabha are taking place in a context which is extremely crucial for our country. A lot depends on how our country will decide about the survival of our Constitution and Parliamentary democracy. A plethora of rhetoric and empty promises are going to be hurled at the people of the country using every means possible by the ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some of the most salient issues are likely to sink in this money created din. If the last 10 years are any clue, the BJP’s continuation in power will mean a death knell for the values enshrined in our Constitution like ensuring common welfare, equality and also secularism.

The 93-member Maldivian Parliament, People's Majlis, is now having the supermajority (more than three-fourths of total seats) of the People’s National Congress (PNC), the party that President Mohamed Muizzu belongs to. In the general elections on Sunday, PNC won 71 seats out of 93. Together with its coalition partners, Muizzu’s party has 75 members in the parliament. The opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) is reduced to only 12 seats from 65 in the previous parliament.

At the fag end of second phase campaign of Lok Sabha election 2024 scheduled on April 26, PM Narendra Modi’s stronghold Hindi heartland states are emanating signals that they are heading for a clipping of his poll ambitions. BJP’s performance in the first phase of election in these states was frustrating, which resulted in PM Modi’s uncalled for tirade against Muslims in a bid to polarize Hindu votes in his favour. However, it seemed helping him only a little in the second phase against INDIA bloc’s aggressive election campaigns.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vicious attack against the Muslims, the largest minority community in the country at the election rally in Rajasthan on Sunday misquoting a statement of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2006, has crossed all limits of the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The vulgar and motivated wrong presentation of a crucial issue by a person of Prime Minister’s stature need immediate action by the EC in terms of barring the PM from the poll campaign for a few days.

The current heatwave seems to have far overtaken the ongoing Lok Sabha election wave with political combinations such as the NDA and the INDIA are increasingly uncertain about their positions as the heatwave is certain to have an impact on the participation of voters in the election process. Nearly a month-and-a-half-long gruelling election schedule from April 19 to June 1 will go through the hottest recorded summer season this year with day temperatures already soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in several parts of the country.