The BJP's ambition to emerge as a force challenging Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu and determination to retain its strongholds across the country will be put to a stern test on Friday when the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections kick off.
If a lot is at stake for the ruling party in the 102 constituencies going to the polls as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a stronger majority, the challenge is even bigger for the opposition INDIA bloc, whose several constituents are in a battle of survival and hope for a rebound after facing reverses in the 2014 and 2019 elections.
Among the 21 states and Union Territories where these seats are spread, Tamil Nadu has emerged as a riveting battleground thanks to the BJP's high-octane push to open up its traditionally bipolar polity amid the main opposition AIADMK's continued struggle since J Jayalalithaa's death.
Elections in all the 39 seats in the state, where the BJP drew a blank in 2019, will be held on Friday.
Modi has led the saffron charge, frequenting the state for long before the polls were announced and holding several rallies and road shows since then. The BJP, which has allied with a few smaller parties, has sought to upend the state's conventional politics, which has so far been indifferent to Hindutva politics, by taking the ruling DMK head-on for its alleged insult of Sanatan Dharma besides involvement in corruption.
The prime minister has visited many temples in the run-up to the elections, especially in the days ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in January. He has deftly mixed this with his championing of Tamil culture and pride to counter the Dravidian criticism of the BJP as a party pushing north Indian values in the state.
Chief Minister M K Stalin has dismissed all the buzz around the BJP as propaganda, while terming the fight against the national party as a battle for democracy's survival in the country.
The poll outcome in the state on June 4, when the nationwide counting of all seats will be done, will have wide repercussions.
Voting for Naxal-hit Bastar LS seat to be held on Friday amid tight security
Amid heightened security measures, the Naxal-affected Bastar Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh will go to polls in the first phase of general elections on Friday, where 11 candidates are in fray.
Maoists' call to boycott elections poses a challenge to security forces, but their morale seems to be high following a major counter-insurgency operation in Kanker district on April 16 in which 29 Naxals, including senior cadres, were gunned down by them. Kanker is part of the Bastar region.
The Maoist ultras have, like previous years, given a call for a poll boycott, with posters and pamphlets found in some pockets of the constituency in the past one month.
Congress' firebrand leader Kawasi Lakhma will take on BJP's Mahesh Kashyap, a fresh face, in Bastar, which the saffron party has lost in 2019. "All preparations have been made for conducting a free and fair election in Bastar, the lone Lok Sabha constituency going to polls in the first phase in the state on April 19," state's Chief Electoral Officer Reena Babasaheb Kangale told reporters on Thursday.
A total of 11 candidates are in the fray in Bastar, where 14,72,207 voters -- 7,71,679 women, 7,00,476 men and 52 members of third gender -- are eligible to exercise their franchise, the official said.
"Sufficient security arrangements have been made in all eight assembly constituencies in this Lok Sabha seat to ensure peaceful and fair elections. In the first phase, 61 polling booths have been categorised as 'vulnerable' and 196 as 'critical', she said.
According to officials, more than 60,000 personnel - together belonging to around 300 companies of various units of state police and 350 companies of the CAPFs, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) - have been deployed to guard the constituency on the polling day.
NE's integration with rest of India happened under Modi govt: Nadda
BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday claimed that integration of North East with the rest of the country has happened under the Narendra Modi-led government, accusing the Congress of keeping the region in "isolation and ignorance". He alleged that opposition parties are not bothered about people's welfare, and are out to save themselves from being indicted in multiple scams.
At a rally at Rowta, under Darrang-Udalguri Lok Sabha constituency, he maintained that the "character, definition and way of functioning of politics" has changed in the country under Modi, who believes in pro-active, pro-responsive governance.
Addressing another rally for the NDA candidate at Kokrajhar, the headquarters of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Nadda maintained that peace has returned to the area due to the peace accords signed by the NDA government.
Referring to the peace accords signed under the Modi regime, especially with Bodo militant outfits, the BJP chief claimed insurgent attacks and the number of civilian deaths have decreased drastically in the region in the last ten years.
On the initiatives for North East by the Modi-led NDA government, Nadda said, "The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been removed from 70 per cent of North East."
Addressing his second rally of the day in the state at Rowta, Nadda claimed that the people of Darrang and Udalguri are now witnessing peace and development under Modi's regime, which was unthinkable for them earlier.
BJP says INDIA bloc leaders resorting to politics of 'abuse and intimidation', seeks EC action
Leaders of the Congress and other INDIA bloc constituents are resorting to politics of "abuse and intimidation", the BJP said on Thursday and urged the Election Commission to take suo motu cognisance of their recent remarks and act against them.
Shehzad Poonawalla, the party's national spokesperson, said during a press conference at the BJP headquarters that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Nazrul Islam recently "openly" threatened to "bury" Prime Minister Narendra Modi "400 feet below". "Nazrul Islam, a leader of the JMM and the 'INDI Alliance', has insulted the country's 'jana shakti (people's power)' by threatening to kill and bury the prime minister, who has been elected by the people of the country," Poonawalla said.
The JMM leader's remark shows the "mindset" of the opposition's INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc, he charged. "The Election Commission should take suo motu cognisance of Nazrul Islam's remarks and take action against him immediately," the BJP leader said.
"This politics of abuse, insult and intimidation is not a coincidence but a well thought out plan (of the opposition). Two days ago, a Congress candidate had talked about killing Modi by saying that he would come (win the election) and Modi would die," Poonawalla charged.
Islam on Wednesday apologised for making a derogatory statement against Modi and said his remark was not intended to hurt anyone.
Rahul Gandhi may have to fight future poll from some place across oceans: MP CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said that in future Congress leader Rahul Gandhi might have to contest an election from some place across the oceans, as he would not find a safe seat in the country. Talking to reporters in Bhopal on Wednesday after campaigning for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections ended, Yadav said Wayanad MP Gandhi could not save his Amethi seat in north India last time.
"He used to insult our religion, insult the youth power and women. He ran away after losing the election from Uttar Pradesh (Amethi) and reached the southern state (Kerala)...in future he may have to cross the oceans and contest election from somewhere else," Yadav quipped.
The Narendra Modi government successfully tackled Naxalism, terrorism, corruption and poverty, the BJP leader said. "This is the highest point of Sanatan Dharma as Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only took part in the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya but also inaugurated a temple in Abu Dhabi," Yadav added.
I consider myself 'gopi' of Lord Krishna, says BJP MP Hema Malini in Mathura
Actress-turned-politician Hema Malini, contesting the Lok Sabha election from Mathura as a BJP candidate for the third time, said Wednesday that she considers herself a "gopi" of Lord Krishna. "I joined politics neither for name nor for fame. I also did not join politics for any materialistic gain," the Mathura MP told reporters.
Calling herself "Gopi of Krishna", Hema Malini said since Lord Krishna loves the "Brijwasis", she thought that he will shower his blessings on her only if she serves them sincerely. "And I am accordingly serving the Brijwasis," she said.
She expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda for giving her the opportunity to serve the Brijwasis for the third time from Mathura.
She said the development of 'Braj 84 Kos Parikrama', lying in a miserable condition, will be her first priority. "Efforts will be made to turn Braj 84 Kos Parikrama soothing, alluring and fascinating for the tourists," Hema Malini, two-term MP from Mathura, said.
She said Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was kind enough to consider her request and he sanctioned Rs 5,000 crore for the renovation of Braj 84 Kos Parikrama.
Her second priority will be to work towards cleaning the Yamuna river, she said. According to the Mathura MP, without cleaning the Yamuna in Delhi and Haryana, the dream of a clean Yamuna in Mathura can not be translated into reality.