Elections 2024: Kerala CM Hits Out at Rahul's Wayanad Roadshow, Asks 'Why Has Congress Flag Become Untouchable?'

Election 2024: As the political heat rises with the first phase of Lok Sabha polls around the corner, Congress suffered a huge jolt as one of the most vocal leaders, Gourav Vallabh, resigned from the party on Thursday saying he felt “uncomfortable” with his “directionless” party. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has notified that the facility of voting through postal ballot will be made available for polling personnel engaged in election duty.

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The Samajwadi Party also seems to be revamping its game. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party has again changed its Meerut candidate. This is the second time the Meerut candidate has changed where BJP has fielded ‘face of Lord Ram’ — Arun Govil. Around 10 Uttar Pradesh candidates have been changed by SP so far, including in Baghpat. The party has been making changes ever since its main rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party, announced their candidates.

Here Are Other Election-related Updates

• On Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement on the flag issue in Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow, Kerala Assembly LoP and Congress leader VD Satheesan says, “The Kerala CM is having an unholy nexus with the BJP. 5 years back when Rahul Gandhi landed in Wayanad, the BJP made a controversy regarding the flag issue. After 5 years, the CM of Kerala is making a controversy on the same subject, i.e., the flag, because he is adjusting with the BJP. Our propaganda should be decided by UDF and not by the CM of Kerala. There is no need to intervene in our propaganda. We don’t want any assistance from Kerala CM…”
• On the Congress party not using the Congress flag in Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said, “It was yesterday that Congress’ top leader filed his nomination from Wayanad. There was a roadshow as part of it. There were naturally his supporters with him. But what was noticeable was that their party flag was not there. Why did the Congress flag become untouchable for the party workers? This is the first program related to the election. It’s his first time visiting Wayanad after announcing his candidature. Then, why there was no enthusiasm to display its flag? Why are they taking a stand like ‘We need Muslim League’s votes but not their flags’? How did Congress stoop so low that it hid its flag to hide the Muslim league flag from the world?…”
• Gaurav Vallab, who resigned from Congress earlier today, joined BJP.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted NDA’s Lok Sabha election campaign in Bihar on Thursday. He addressed a public rally in Chirag Paswan’s stronghold Jamui. Addressing the rally, he remembered former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and said, “This is the first such election for us when the son of Bihar and my friend Ram Vilas Paswan is not between us.“Calling Jamui a victim of RJD’s ‘Jungle Raaj’, he said, “Bihar played an important role in fighting for independence, but unfortunately in last four or five decades, justice was not done with Bihar. Now, the time has come for Bihar to move more rapidly in development.”“I am satisfied that my younger brother Chirag Paswan is taking forward the ideas of Ram Vilas Paswan with full seriousness…The land of Bihar has been showing direction to the entire country…but unfortunately, after independence, justice was not done to 5-6 generations of people in Bihar,” he added.
• The Samajwadi Party has once again changed its candidate from Meerut. The ticket of Atul Pradhan, who filed his nomination yesterday, has been cut off and Sunita Verma has been given the ticket. “We came to the party office in the morning and had a long discussion with Honorable Akhilesh ji and after the discussion, Sunita Verma ji was given the ticket. ST Hasan has said that he will not campaign for Ruchi Veera but I will not do so at all, I will campaign for Sunita Verma. I am a party MLA and whatever decision the National President takes, he takes it after careful consideration. Arun Govil is not even interested in Meerut as he had come from Mumbai and will return to Mumbai by cutting and changing the ticket. There is no confusion among Samarth and party workers. We saw Jayant Choudhary’s tweet that he is in the opposition and whatever the opposition has to do,” Pradhan told media on Thursday.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday refuted a false WhatsApp message circulating regarding government employees being barred from casting their vote through postal ballot. ” Message is misleading & fake. Eligible Officials on election duty can cast their vote through postal ballot at designated Voter Facilitation Centre,” the poll body said.
• Gourav Vallabh, a firebrand leader said to be close to Gandhis, quit Congress on Thursday morning as he felt “uncomfortable” with his “directionless” party. Vallabh took to social media platform X to announce his decision. “The directionless path the Congress party is currently taking makes me uncomfortable. I cannot support anti-Sanatan slogans nor can I criticize the country’s wealth creators day in and day out. Therefore, I am resigning from all positions and the primary membership of the Congress party,” he said in a post.
• Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has removed ‘A Congressman’ from his X (formerly Twitter) bio, hours after he was expelled from the party for six years for indiscipline and making anti-party statements.
• Today (April 4) is the last day of nominations for phase two polling. And in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is struggling to finalise its candidates. Rumours suggest that the tussle is still on in Meerut and the Akhilesh Yadav-led party may change its candidate again on the seat at the last moment.
• Badaun seat is also under lens as Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal Yadav wants his son to contest instead of him. Earlier, Moradabad and Rampur seats saw drama.
• Amid the continued changing of candidates, SP chief Akhilesh is yet to begin campaign in western Uttar Pradesh, even as just two weeks are left for last day of canvassing.
• Seats where SP has changed candidates: Moradabad, Rampur, Baghpat, Meerut, Bijnor, Gautam Budh Nagar (candidate changed twice) and Badaun.
• Bihar’s former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, meanwhile, hit out the BJP for campaigning in four state seats where the saffron party has fielded “100% dynastic candidates”.

• Yadav’s attack comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to trailblaze the NDA’s Lok Sabha poll campaign in Bihar on Thursday (April 4). The PM and his party has often slammed the Opposition for promoting dynastic politics.
• On the other hand, candidates are busy filing nominations. While Pappu Yadav filed nomination from Bihar’s Purnea, Bollywood actor-turned-politician Hema Malini filed her poll papers from Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura.
• Yadav filed a nomination as an independent candidate. Earlier, sources said that Pappu Yadav may file nomination on his own party symbol i.e JAP (Jan Adhikar Party). Another candidate, Bima Bharti, had already filed her nomination yesterday on the RJD ticket.
• Also in Bihar, Chirag Paswan gets a jolt within his party — Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). At least 22 leaders have resigned simultaneously. Engineer Ravindra Singh accused Chirag of “nepotism”. Singh wanted to contest elections from Vaishali.