The year-end assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram, the dates for which were announced by the Election Commission on Friday, have acquired a special significance as the results of these polls are expected to set the tone for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
On the occasion, Gandhi said their campaign was against hatred, violence and fear being spread in society.
The Congress is now gearing up to take on the BJP over alleged corruption, jobs and issues tied to tribals, farmers and women.
Pandey, who has worked in TV shows like Pavitra Bandhan and Hamari Bahu Silk, said she had been living in Mumbai for the last seven to eight years and working as an actor.
The results of bypolls to three Lok Sabha and 29 assembly seats spread across 13 states and a union territory have been a mixed bag for the BJP as its fortunes continue to nosedive in West Bengal against the might of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee while bad tidings have also come from states like Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Out of the candidates announced so far, 65 are below the age of 50 years and 19 are women, he said.
Calling the Bharatiya Janata Party communal, activist Anna Hazare on Friday said he never described Narendra Modi as secular.
School Education Minister Vijay Shah says if successful, the proposal will be sent to make this must in all govt schools.
A search operation was on to trace the missing persons, the SP said.
All of them, including Patkar, were taken to hospitals by the administration, police said.
A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud also ordered video recording and possible live streaming of the assembly proceedings when the Kamal Nath led Congress government would undertake the floor test.
The Congress also accused the Madhya Pradesh government of suppressing the voice of farmers.
Uma Bharti has refused to disclose the contents of her reply.
Among the bigwigs are Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).
Snubbed by his party leader Rahul Gandhi and panned by the Bharatiya Janata Party for questioning surgical strikes, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh swung into damage control mode on Tuesday and said his questions were to the government and not the armed forces.
As many as 350 women were allegedly put through virginity and pregnancy tests during a mass marriage programme organised by the Madhya Pradesh government at Harad village in the tribal-dominated district.
Gandhi said Modi had "claimed that he wants to be a 'chowkidar' (watchman of the country) but he actually proved to be a 'chowkidar' of Anil Ambani, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi and has been working for them since last four years."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed 14 rallies in Madhya Pradesh during campaigning for polls and reached out to young voters by reminding them of the failures of previous Congress governments on various fronts as he doubled down on development of all sections.
The prime minister also praised the Dawoodi Bohras, a sect within Shia Islam known for their trading and business acumen, for their efforts in making the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a success.
Fifteen persons were killed and more than 35 others injured, some of them seriously, after an Uttar Pradesh-bound bus collided with a stationary truck in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Saturday.
However, district authorities denied receiving any such complaint and said a case in this regard was being being heard in court.
Activists burnt the US flag and logos of Union Carbide and Dow Chemicals - as they have done nothing to end the sufferings of the victims for the last 32 years.
According to an Andhra government statement, Naidu 'reposed confidence' in the PM's leadership.
Strident Hindutva has not been the Shivraj Singh Chouhan's hallmark in his long tenure as chief minister. What has changed?
He held two massive roadshows in Rajasthan and one in Madhya Pradesh and his entries in many of rally venues were marked by a drive through cheering supporters.
Around eight policemen and some officials had to push the parked plane of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for about 15-20 feet at an airstrip in Chhindwara on Monday to give way to an incoming aircraft of Congress leader Kamal Nath.
Following the party's sweep of assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states against the odds, the BJP's brain trust is now busy game-planning as to how it can improve on its 2019 Lok Sabha election tally of 303 seats.
The stakes are significant for the BJP in this round as the party had in 2019 won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, that will go to polls on May 7.
Here's how political leaders across the country celebrated the festival of colours.
There is also speculation within the BJP that its national president J P Nadda, whose extended tenure will end by this month and who was among the leaders meeting Modi, may also be brought back in the government.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Jyotiraditya Scindia, among others, were present on the occasion.
A revolt by 22 MLAs had led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in March 2020.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday made it clear that he would not contest the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, slated to be held later this year, but could contest the Lok Sabha elections if the party permits him.
Here's a recap of the events from the past 24 hours.
As Madhya Pradesh goes to polls, all eyes will be on 29 key assembly seats, out of the total 230, where the contest will be keenly watched.
The death of Manoj Thakre, 48, came to light three days after another BJP leader was shot dead in Mandsaur, prompting the party to claim that its leaders were being targeted.
As Narendra Modi hits the campaign trail in Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Digvijay Singh trained his guns on him, saying the BJP's prime ministerial candidate will not have an impact as he has no vision for the country and "only knows how to abuse".
A government official in Lucknow said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased migrants and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured.
Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Monday began a seven-day fast near the Collectorate in Guna to protest the non-payment of compensation to farmers for crop damage and for demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation probe in the MPPEB scam.
Taking the matter seriously, the Bharatiya Janata Party government on Wednesday night transferred collector S Vishwnathan, SP Nayak and IG Rajababu Singh.
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