Headlines from this morning's papers.
India to go to polls from April 7–May 12 in 9 phases; counting on May 16
The Election Commission announced on Wednesday that the world's largest democracy will go to the polls in nine phases from April 7 to May 12 to elect its next government. While 525 constituencies will vote on six days, only 18 constituencies will vote on the remaining three polling days. Meanwhile, the Election Commission will deploy special observers for the first time to oversee the management of the electoral process at the field level.
Kejriwal's Gujarat trip turns ugly; AAP and BJP workers clash
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal's four-day tour of Gujarat did not begin on a pleasant note as he was not only briefly detained by the Gujarat police, but also saw his car's windshield being smashed as he drove through Kutch. Kejriwal attributed the "harassment" to Gujarat chief minister and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. The events led to violence in Delhi and Lucknow as well, with workers of the AAP and BJP clashing.
Rahul Gandhi shares dais with Ashok Chavan; Opposition protests
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi kicked off the Maharashtra leg of his Lok Sabha poll campaign in Aurangabad on Wednesday, but sparked a controversy when he shared the dais with former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, who is embroiled in the Adarsh corruption scam. Chavan even felicitated Gandhi amidst applause from his party leaders, which led to protests from the Opposition parties in the state.
Trinamool Congress announces star-studded list for LS polls
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Wednesday announced the first list of candidates for the upcoming general elections, which includes a host of celebrities such as former football player Bhaichung Bhutia and actors Moon Moon Sen, Sandhya Roy and Dev. The TNC will contest all 42 seats of West Bengal, along with some in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar where it has a presence.
Gurudas Kamat denies paying for 'adulatory' pieces in Mumbai dailies
The Indian Express reported that several dailies in Mumbai had carried "large, adulatory pieces" on Congress MP Gurudas Kamat on March 1, a day after the Maharashtra government legalised slums that came up in Mumbai between 1995 and 2000. The report said that the articles "looked and read like political ads, but they weren’t marked as ads in any of the publications" and quoted sources in two of the publications, including an editor and an executive, admitting that the pieces had been paid for. However, Kamat, who is a Congress national general secretary, dismissed the allegations.
India to go to polls from April 7–May 12 in 9 phases; counting on May 16
The Election Commission announced on Wednesday that the world's largest democracy will go to the polls in nine phases from April 7 to May 12 to elect its next government. While 525 constituencies will vote on six days, only 18 constituencies will vote on the remaining three polling days. Meanwhile, the Election Commission will deploy special observers for the first time to oversee the management of the electoral process at the field level.
Kejriwal's Gujarat trip turns ugly; AAP and BJP workers clash
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal's four-day tour of Gujarat did not begin on a pleasant note as he was not only briefly detained by the Gujarat police, but also saw his car's windshield being smashed as he drove through Kutch. Kejriwal attributed the "harassment" to Gujarat chief minister and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. The events led to violence in Delhi and Lucknow as well, with workers of the AAP and BJP clashing.
Rahul Gandhi shares dais with Ashok Chavan; Opposition protests
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi kicked off the Maharashtra leg of his Lok Sabha poll campaign in Aurangabad on Wednesday, but sparked a controversy when he shared the dais with former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, who is embroiled in the Adarsh corruption scam. Chavan even felicitated Gandhi amidst applause from his party leaders, which led to protests from the Opposition parties in the state.
Trinamool Congress announces star-studded list for LS polls
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Wednesday announced the first list of candidates for the upcoming general elections, which includes a host of celebrities such as former football player Bhaichung Bhutia and actors Moon Moon Sen, Sandhya Roy and Dev. The TNC will contest all 42 seats of West Bengal, along with some in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar where it has a presence.
Gurudas Kamat denies paying for 'adulatory' pieces in Mumbai dailies
The Indian Express reported that several dailies in Mumbai had carried "large, adulatory pieces" on Congress MP Gurudas Kamat on March 1, a day after the Maharashtra government legalised slums that came up in Mumbai between 1995 and 2000. The report said that the articles "looked and read like political ads, but they weren’t marked as ads in any of the publications" and quoted sources in two of the publications, including an editor and an executive, admitting that the pieces had been paid for. However, Kamat, who is a Congress national general secretary, dismissed the allegations.
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