New Delhi:
The election for the post of Speaker – a rare event in the history of the Lok Sabha – will take place today, with a recharged Opposition forcing a contest. The numbers, though, appear to give the government an advantage.

Here are the top 10 updates on this big story

New Delhi:

Taking the fight to the ruling BJP-led NDA, Rahul Gandhi has accepted a decision by the Congress Working Committee and will take up the mantle of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. 

Tuesday’s announcement comes hours before the first big battle of the 18th Lok Sabha, between a resurgent opposition and a diminished ruling coalition, over the post of Speaker. 

Denied an assurance that an opposition member would be given the post of Deputy Speaker, as is the tradition, the Congress and the INDIA bloc decided to force an election for the post of Speaker at the last minute by putting up K Suresh as its candidate against the BJP’s pick, Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the last Lok Sabha.

While Wednesday’s election – the first for the Speaker’s post  in decades – is likely to be only a symbolic one since it requires a simple majority of 272 MPs and the NDA, which has 292 on its own, has also got the support of the YSR Congress’ 4 MPs, it is about the opposition signalling that things in Parliament will not remain as they were in 2014 and 2019. 

The move to make Rahul Gandhi, who is arguably the Congress’ most popular face, the Leader of the Opposition is also being seen as a step in that direction because this is the first time since 2014 that any opposition party has managed to cross the magic figure of 54 (10% of the Lok Sabha’s strength) needed to stake claim to the post. Besides getting a cabinet rank, the Leader of the Opposition post will enable Mr Gandhi to strongly take up the issues of the people and the INDIA bloc at a time when the opposition parties are at their strongest in a decade. 

He will also be part of key panels, like those to select Chief Election Commissioners and Election Commissioners, along with the Prime Minister. 

The decision to pick Mr Gandhi for the post was made after a meeting of floor leaders of the INDIA bloc at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Tuesday

“Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) wrote a letter to Pro-Tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, informing him of the decision to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Other office bearers will be decided later,” senior party leader KC Venugopal said after the meeting.

Starting off the first Parliament session in his third term on the front foot, the Prime Minister launched an ‘Emergency’ attack towards the main Opposition Congress before the Lok Sabha met this morning.

Addressing the media before the House met, the Prime Minister said this June 25 — tomorrow — will mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency and called it a “black spot” on the country’s democracy.

This Parliament sessions comes after the general elections and the Opposition is buoyed by its good show that restricted the BJP below the majority mark. The Prime Minister has returned to the top post with the support of NDA allies and the Opposition plans to use its numerical strength to corner the government on the House floor.

The tone of the Prime Minister’s address, however, the BJP may have suffered a setback, but it has no plan to let the Opposition have its way.

The Prime Minister assured the people that the government will work three times harder in its third term and deliver three-fold results.

This election, he said, was significant because this is only the second government after Independence that has been chosen to continue for a third term in a row. “This opportunity has come after 60 years. When people have chosen a government for the third term, it means a stamp on its intent, a stamp on its policies and its dedication. I thank the people for this,” he told the media.

Referring to the Emergency imposed by the then Indira Gandhi government, he said, “Tomorrow marks 50 years of the black spot on Indian democracy. The new generation will not forget how the Indian Constitution was scrapped, how the country was turned into a jail and democracy was captured. In this 50th anniversary, the country will take a pledge that never again will it happen.”

The Prime Minister said the government will consistently try to take everyone along to serve the country and its people, but added a stern message for the Opposition. “India needs a responsible Opposition, people want substance not slogans, they want debate, diligence not drama and disturbance in Parliament. I hope the Opposition will live up to the people’s expectations,” he said.

The country, he said, has a lot of expectations from MPs and urged them to take every possible step for public welfare. The Prime Minister congratulated the newly elected MPs and noted that this is the first time new MPs will take the oath in the new Parliament building.

The Prime Minister’s remarks and swipes targeting the Congress drew a sharp response. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the country was expecting that the Prime Ministr would speak about the protests surrounding NEET, the train accident in West Bengal or the continuing violence in Manipur.

“You are warning the Opposition. You are talking about the 50-year-old Emergency, but have forgotten the undeclared Emergency in the last 10 years,” Mr Kharge said, adding that the people have “given a mandate against Modiji”. The Congress chief said the INDIA Opposition bloc will raise the people’s voice inside and outside the Parliament.

Shimla:

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that sometimes he wonders whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be able to win even 200 seats in these Lok Sabha elections.

“400 paar slogan was a fantasy when PM Modi first said it. 300 paar is clearly impossible. I am wondering about 200 paar whether they can get or not, as their allies are performing very poorly,” Shashi Tharoor told ANI.

Mr Tharoor further said that there is a need for an agreement on the issue of the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

“If consensus is there, we don’t have any problems, but the problem is, what are you proposing in UCC? There is no draft law. Let them bring a draft law to Parliament. Let it be discussed in the standing committee in detail. Let there be an open discussion in Parliament with all stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Tharoor also held an interactive session with the legal cell of the Himachal Pradesh Congress committee in Shimla.

He said that at the moment, there will be a change of government on June 4. “So we will get more than 272 seats to form the INDIA bloc government,” he said.

Mr Tharoor said that after forming the government, the Congress party and alliance parties will fulfil the promises made to the people of the country.

“We shall fill the government jobs in a time-phased manner, we will do it. The second thing we have promised is the apprenticeship scheme ‘Pahli Naukri Pakki’. We shall make sure that the government gives Rs 8,500 per person per month for a company to hire somebody and train a person in a new skill and a new job. The number of changes that have to be made certain fields have to be much more connected to the industrial real world; ,the academic industry is not more satisfactory, in some universities we have quality of education and in some we will have to improve it, the government has to create and generate the jobs,” Mr Tharoor said.

He further said that the narratives peddled by Prime Minister Narendra are changing each day.

“Mr Modi’s narrative has become increasingly difficult to comprehend He says various things about Muslim community. When he gives interviews, he says anyone who raises Hindu-Muslim issues is not worthy of public office He again raises Hindu-Muslim issues I don’t understand the contradictions in Mr Modi’s statements. Similarly, he says he is not biologically born, I have recently raised a question: there are certain requirements to be a citizen of India. If your parents are Parmatma, how can you be an Indian citizen, and how are you eligible to become the Indian Prime minister. I am not joking; these are certainly strange statements of the Prime Minister,” Mr Tharoor said.

On PM Modi’s remarks that Congress is an enemy of minorities, Mr Tharoor said that Congress and INDIA bloc believe in politics of inclusion.

“There is a new story from PM every day. First, he told us that we wanted to take away everyone’s Mangalsutra and give it to the minorities and now we have become the enemies of minorities. We stand for everybody, INDIA bloc and Congress believe in the politics of inclusion,” Mr Tharoor added further.

Refuting the claims made by Union Minister Anurag Thakur that “Priyanka Gandhi never stood in support of women”, Mr Tharoor said that the BJP does not have a good track record when it comes to defending the rights of women in the country.

“That’s not true, Priyanka Gandhi has been active. You can see going back to Nirbhaya tragedy, all the other things that had happened, she had been a strong voice. I don’t think the BJP has much to say or stand up that they claim to be better at coming up with slogans than us, but they are much worse at actually putting them into action, as we have demonstrated. Let’s look at the Beti Bachao slogan, where do they stand on this? I would like to hear from them about their achievements in addressing violence against women and the misogynistic behavior of their leaders. This party does not have a good track record when it comes to women’s rights in our country.”

The polling for the 2024 general elections in Himachal Pradesh is scheduled to take place in a single phase on June 1. The state of Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha constituencies Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, and Shimla. In addition to the Lok Sabha elections, by-polls will also be held in six Himachal Pradesh assembly seats on the same day. These seats fell vacant after the disqualification of rebel Congress MLAs.The results for both the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly polls will be announced on June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jalandhar, Punjab:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday urged people of Punjab to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in all the 13 Lok Sabha seats of the state during the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to be held on June 1.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a roadshow in Jalandhar on Monday. He was campaigning for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Lok Sabha candidate from Jalandhar Pawan Kumar Tinu.

Arvind Kejriwal said, “Home Minister Amit Shah has challenged 3 crore people of Punjab yesterday. He said after June 4 they are going dismiss the elected government of Punjab. This is dictatorship. People of the country will not accept it. I have come to ask all 13 seats from you. I assure that only the voice of Punjab will echo inside Lok Sabha. In the last 10 years whoever you elected has not raised your concerns. We will raise issues of Punjab in Lok Sabha and find out solution to all the issues which are pending with the centre.”

He further said that there is no use voting for BJP, Akali Dal or the Congress.

“If you vote for the BJP or Akali Dal then it is of no use. If you vote for Congress they will start quarrelling against us. Give all the 13 seats to AAP we will work together,” he added.

AAP’s Pawan Kumar Tinu, INDIA alliance’s Charanjit Singh Channi, NDA’s Sushil Kumar Rinku, and Akali Dal’s Mohinder Singh Kaypee will contest elections from Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat.

Earlier Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday targeted the AAP for not living up to the promises assured to Punjab and criticised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for making the state a hub of corruption.

Slamming the government of AAP, Amit Shah claimed that AAP is a government that is known for breaking promises. “This is the government of the AAP party, it is a government which breaks promises. Rs 1000 were not given to every mother and sister, Punjab was not made drug-free in a month, and 16 medical colleges were not opened up in the state,” Amit Shah said.

All 13 Lok Sabha seats of Punjab to go for polls in the 7th phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP’s) Lok Sabha candidate from Jalandhar Pawan Kumar Tinu and Punjab Minister Balkar Singh were also present.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mau:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday claimed INDIA bloc parties will rewrite the Constitution to provide reservation on the basis of religion, and alleged they want to turn the country’s majority community into second-class citizens.

Addressing a public meeting in Purvanchal region’s Ghosi here, he also alleged the opposition grouping will end the reservation given to SC, ST, OBC and give all of it to Muslims. He accused INDIA parties of making different castes fight among themselves.

Attacking INDIA bloc partners Samajwadi Party and Congress, PM Modi said they have neglected Purvanchal over the years and turned it into a “region of mafia, poverty and helplessness”.

The SP and INDIA bloc are making castes fight among themselves so that they become weak, he alleged, adding this is being done “to divert people’s attention from the real issues”.

“Today, I have come to alert the people of Purvanchal and Ghosi about the big conspiracy of the INDI alliance,” PM Modi said, and counted the grouping’s three “big conspiracies”.

“First, the people of INDI alliance will change the Constitution and write in it afresh that reservation should be given on the basis of religion in India. Second, these INDI people will end the reservation given to SC, ST, OBC. Third, they will give the entire reservation to Muslims on the basis of religion.” 

He said, “A third method has been created to circumvent the OBC reservation. They are declaring Muslim castes as OBC overnight. Recently, the Calcutta High Court has rejected OBC reservation for 77 Muslim castes.” 

The PM went on add, “Today, the SP, Congress and INDI people want to make the majority community in India second-class citizens.” 

He alleged those associated with the Samajwadi Party kept Purvanchal backward under a conspiracy and the people of the region will continue to punish them for this.

“The families of SP and Congress had their dynastic mindset turn Purvanchal into a region of mafia, poverty and helplessness,” he said.

“The people associated with the INDI Alliance who set fire to your houses, encroached on land, who emboldened rioters, who shed tears for the mafia, such people should not be allowed to set foot in Purvanchal,” said the PM.

The rally was held in support of BJP and NDA candidates from Ghosi, Salempur and Ballia Lok Sabha seats.

Referring to the SP and Congress’ previous manifestos, PM Modi said, “In 2012 (assembly polls), the SP had clearly written in its manifesto that the reservation that Babasaheb gave to Dalits, similar reservation will be given to Muslims.” 

PM Modi further claimed the Congress declared educational establishments as minority institutions and gave reservation to Muslims there.

“Before 2014, the Congress changed the law overnight to declare schools, colleges and universities as minority institutions. They declared thousands of educational institutions as minority institutions. Earlier, the reservation SC, ST and OBC students were getting there was completely ended and Muslims got reservation.” 

“What can be a bigger betrayal than this of the sons and daughters of Dalits, backward tribals?” The entire world is watching the ongoing general elections in India, he said, adding the more powerful government India elects, the more powerful prime minister it gets, and its echo will be heard in every country of the world.

NDA partner Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party has fielded Arvind Rajbhar from the Ghosi Lok Sabha seat. The BJP has fielded Neeraj Shekhar and Ravindra Kushwaha from Ballia and Salempur Lok Sabha seats, respectively.

Polling in Ghosi, Ballia and Salempur will be held on June 1 in the last phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bikram, Bihar:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today vowed to thwart alleged attempts to rob Dalits and backward classes of reservations by the INDIA bloc which he accused of “enslavement” and performing “mujra” for Muslim vote bank.

PM Modi launched the blistering attack at a rally in the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency, about 40 kms from Patna, where he also blamed parties like RJD and Congress for SCs, STs and OBCs “being deprived of quotas” in minority institutions.

“Bihar is the land which has given a new direction to the fight for social justice. I wish to declare on its soil that I will foil the plans of INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform ‘mujra‘ to please their vote bank”, said the PM.

He also alleged that the opposition alliance was banking on the support of those who were indulging in “vote jihad” and referred to the Calcutta High Court order that struck down the West Bengal government’s decision to include a number of Muslim groups in the list of OBCs.

PM Modi was canvassing for two-term BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav and remarked sarcastically “many people have such a quarrel with Lord Ram that they may frown upon even the name of Ram Kripal”.

Referring to “Maner Ka laddoo”, a renowned sweetmeat named after a nearby locality, PM Modi said at the rally, “Have these ready for June 04… Your vote is too significant. It is not just to elect your MP but to choose your PM”.

The Lok Sabha election results will be out on June 4.

PM Modi also mocked RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, without mentioning him by name, saying “in the age of LED bulbs, they are moving around with a lantern that lit up only their house while keeping the entire Bihar in the dark”.

Notably, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s eldest daughter Misa Bharti is contesting from Patliputra for the third time in a row.

He added, “India needs a PM who can do justice to the country’s might on the world stage. But INDIA bloc seems intent on playing musical chairs with the top post”.

PM Modi said scions of families heading Congress, RJD, NCP, Samajwadi Party and others were all pining for brief stints as Prime Minister.

The PM also promised the people that his next five years in power would ensure faster development for Bihar with better electricity supply and more pucca houses even as he slammed the previous Congress-led UPA government for lacking the resolve to provide free foodgrains to the common people.

Mocking at the predictions of many pollsters who have forecast a dip in the NDA’s tally, PM Modi said, “INDIA bloc has come up with its exit polls even before the elections conclude. Soon they might go back to crying hoarse on EVMs”.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Centre releases disaster relief funds for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

The Union government has ordered the release of ₹3,730.32 crore towards “relief assistance for natural calamity” from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) weeks after the governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka moved the Supreme Court seeking relief funds for calamities such as Cyclone Michaung, floods and drought in 2023. 

Over 140 hectares gutted in Uttarakhand forest fires

Massive forest fires sweeping through the dense foliage in the mountains of Uttarakhand for the past 72 hours have gutted over 142 hectares of forest land in the State. With a fire reaching the vicinity of an Air Force Station near the Nanda range, the Indian Air Force on Saturday deployed a Mi-17 V5 helicopter to douse the flames using a ‘Bambi Bucket’.

INDIA bloc plans five Prime Ministers in five years, says PM Modi

PM Modi on Saturday said that if the Opposition INDIA bloc gets a majority to form a government following the general election, then the alliance has plans of appointing five Prime Ministers with one PM every year.  “If the INDIA bloc gets a majority to form the Union government for the entire term, it is planning to have five Prime Ministers with one PM each year,” Mr. Modi said while addressing a public gathering in western Maharashtra’s Kolhapur.

Rahul, Priyanka urged to contest polls from Amethi and Rae Bareli

Members of the central election committee (CEC) members of the Congress strongly urged the Congress leadership to field former president Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Amethi and Rae Bareli. The final decision was left Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and the Gandhi siblings.

2024 polls an opportunity to teach divisive forces a lesson: Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Samajwadi Party and the Congress sympathised with the mafia and forced the common people to endure their misrule. “This election is giving you an opportunity to teach these parties tough lessons electorally,” said Mr. Adityanath at a rally in Hathras for BJP candidate Anup Pradhan Valmiki.

Congress accuses Anurag Thakur of violating Model Code of Conduct, seeks EC action

The Congress complained to the Election Commission (EC) against Union Minister Anurag Thakur for his “outrageous” remarks made at a poll rally, and alleged that it violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the party has sought an “immediate and meaningful” action against Mr. Thakur, failing which they will “name and shame the offenders”.

Lok Sabha 2024: Ujjwal Nikam replaces Poonam Mahajan as BJP’s Mumbai North Central candidate

The BJP announced on Saturday its decision to replace incumbent Lok Sabha MP Poonam Mahajan, daughter of former Union Minister late Pramod Mahajan, with lawyer Ujjwal Deorai Nikam for the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat. Mr. Nikam, a known figure in the legal circles, has served as a government counsel in the Mumbai terror attacks case.

20 Cambodian soldiers killed in ammunition explosion at a military base

Twenty soldiers were killed and several others injured in an ammunition explosion at a base in the west of Cambodia on April 27 afternoon, Prime Minister Hun Manet said. Mr. Hun Manet said in a Facebook post that he was “deeply shocked” when he received the news of the explosion at the base in Kampong Speu province.

Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia

Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country’s energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defence systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region.

U.S. intelligence believes Putin probably didn’t order Navalny to be killed: Report

U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably didn’t order opposition politician Alexei Navalny killed at an Arctic prison camp in February, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Mr. Navalny, 47 when he died, was Mr. Putin’s fiercest domestic critic. 

Centre allows 99.5k tons of onion exports to 6 neighbouring nations

The Centre said it has allowed exports of 99,500 tonnes of onions, mainly sourced from Maharashtra, to six neighbouring countries despite the ban on shipments. The Centre has also allowed exports of 2,000 tonnes of white onion cultivated, especially, for export markets in the Middle East and some European countries.

U.S. food regulator gathering information on MDH, Everest spices after alleged contamination

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is gathering information on products of Indian spice makers MDH and Everest after Hong Kong halted sales of some of their products for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide.”The FDA is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation,” an FDA spokesperson told Reuters.

India set to sign trade deal with Oman to expand its Middle East ties

India and Oman will sign a trade deal in the coming months, two Indian government officials said, as New Delhi seeks to expand its ties in the Middle East, where rising tensions are putting major shipping routes at risk. “It will help India with a strategic partner and access to key trade routes in a volatile region,” one official told Reuters.

IPL-17: LSG vs RR | Samson, Jurel ace the chase as Royals pull further away

Sanju Samson (71 n.o., 33b, 7×4, 4×6) and Dhruv Jurel (52 n.o., 34b, 5×4, 2×6) scripted Rajasthan Royals’ umpteenth turn of the plot this Indian Premier League, and took the table topper to a seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.

IPL-17: DC vs MI | Fraser-McGurk’s blistering knock helps Delhi Capitals see off Mumbai Indians in a runfest

The trend of gargantuan totals — in Indian Premier League in general and at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in particular — continued. So did that of Delhi Capitals winning at home. Riding on Jake Fraser-McGurk’s pyrotechnics up front and Tristan Stubbs’ strong finish, DC posted 257 for four against Mumbai Indians. Despite the MI power-hitters clearing boundaries frequently, the Capitals pace troika of Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and Rasikh Salam Dar picked wickets at regular intervals to control the game.

The arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and JMM’s Hemant Soren has put their wives in the limelight. Sunita Kejriwal and Kalpana Soren have become important faces in the INDIA camp in the absence of their spouses during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, hinting that they are ready for larger political roles.

They joined other INDIA bloc leaders at a rally in Ranchi yesterday, which saw the opposition camp launch a fierce attack on the BJP for allegedly misusing central agencies to harass opposition-ruled states.

Two chairs were left empty on stage for Mr Kejriwal and Mr Soren – with their name tags on – as their spouses were seated on the dais.

The ‘Ulgulan Nyay Mahrally’, organised by the JMM amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, served as a major show of strength that saw the leaders of 28 political parties in attendance, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Tejashwi Yadav, Bhagwant Mann, and Akhilesh Yadav.

Sunita Kejriwal, lashing out at the government in her speech, alleged that her diabetic husband was being denied insulin in jail, a claim earlier made by the Aam Aadmi Party.

“They want to kill my husband Arvind Kejriwal. His food is under camera observation; he is denied insulin. My husband is a sugar patient who has been on insulin for the last 12 years; he needs 50 units of insulin daily,” she said at the rally.

Claiming that no charges could be proved against her husband, she asserted that they will win their “fight against dictatorship”. “The gates of jail will break and Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren will come out,” asserted Ms Kejriwal.

Ms Soren also accused the BJP of trying to topple governments in states where opposition parties are in power, which she claimed led to the arrest of Mr Kejriwal and Mr Soren just before the elections.

At the rally, she also read out a message from her husband: “Central agencies such as the ED and CBI are being misused to suppress the opposition’s voice but BJP and such forces will be driven out.”

Mr Kejriwal was arrested last month by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the liquor policy scam. He remains the Chief Minister even after his arrest with the AAP asserting no law stops him from running the government from jail.

Mr Soren had resigned from the top post before his arrest in January by the ED in a laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud. JMM leader Champai Soren replaced him as the Chief Minister in February amid speculations that Ms Soren could take over her husband’s post.

New Delhi:

The BJP on Sunday took a swipe at the INDIA bloc over a clash during the opposition grouping’s rally in Ranchi, calling it a display of ‘Jungle Raj’, and said workers of the opposition parties clashed because they have no common mission and vision for the country.

The BJP’s reaction came after a clash took place reportedly between workers of the RJD and the Congress in the midst of the INDIA bloc’s rally over the candidature of KN Tripathi from Chatra. The Congress has named KN Tripathi as its candidate from the Lok Sabha seat.

In a video message, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also asked people to be “very careful” in making their choice of the candidates when they vote in the Lok Sabha polls.

“What kind of alliance is this? In the joint public rally of the INDI alliance in Ranchi, chairs, tables, stools and lathis were thrown at each other by their karyakartas (party workers). Today they are breaking each others’ heads, imagine what will they break if by mistake they come to power,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a video message.

“This Jungle Raj is taking place right at the rally spot itself,” he charged.

Shehzad Poonawala described the opposition bloc as a grouping of parties which promotes “Jungle Raj and corruption” and alleged that they have come together only to “salvage their own family dynasty and politics of corruption”.

The workers of the INDIA bloc parties clashed with each other at their joint rally because they have no common mission and vision for the country, he added.

The BJP leader alleged, “They (INDIA bloc) only have confusion, division, ambitions, family run professions and frustration. Because of this you can see politics of violence taking place in their rally itself,” the BJP leader said.

“These are the parties of Jungle Raj and corruption. Therefore, people should be very careful and wary of what they are going to offer this country,” he said, adding “They have come together to save their corruption”. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)