Campaigning gains momentum for assembly polls in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. In poll bound Assam, the campaigning for the first phase of polls has been intensified with the arrival of star campaigners. Along with the star campaigners of various parties, the children of top leaders are also swung into action. The daughter of State BJP President is campaigning at Sorbhog while the children of State Congress President are trying to woo voters at Gohpur.
Apart from them, Congress leader and MP Gaurav Gogoi,the son of Congress stalwart Tarun Gogoi is heading the party’s manifesto committee in this polls. Congress has given to Ankita Dutta the daughter of former state President Anjan Dutta at Amguri seat.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has addressed a rally at Nalbari district. He said that the upcoming polls would decide the fate of Assam and North East. He said that Sarbananda Sonowal has given a successful government during the last 5 years under the guidance of Narendra Modi. Mr. Fadnavis alleged that a power is trying to divide the state through Congress and AIUDF and urged people to remain on those divisive forces. Senior Congress leader and Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and MP Gaurav Gogoi are also holding Five Guarantee rallies at Dibrugarh district today.
In West Bengal, campaigning has intensified in poll bound areas of the first phase of assembly elections as star campaigners are criss-crossing the state to hold rallies. With just ten days left in hand for campaigning for the first phase, the number of rallies and road shows by star campaigners seems to be growing for BJP and TMC while Congress and the Left parties are mostly busy in holding small meetings and door to door campaigning. National leaders and heavyweight campaigners of BJP have been seen in the state on a regular basis whereas Star campaigners of Congress, CPIM and CPI are likely to visit the state in coming days.
BJP leader and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath held a rally at Balarampur in Purulia this morning. He said, after two months, there will be BJP in this state and the party will lead Bengal in the path of development.
BJP leader, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also addressed a rally in Daspur in West Medinipur and will attend another public meeting in Goaltore in the same district while BJP president JP Nadda will be holding a road show and a rally in Bankura today.
On the other hand, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to address three public meetings in Purulia today whereas the party chief and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee will be addressing three rallies in Bankura district at Shaltora, Chhatna and Raipur assembly constituencies. First phase of polling will take place on the 27th of this month in 30 seats across five districts.
In Tamil Nadu, electioneering is gaining momentum after the leaders of major parties have filed their nominations. Former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan filed his nomination from Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency where the bye election is to be held. The constituency fell vacant after the death of Vasanthkumar.
AIR Correspondent reports that the last date for filing nomination is 19th of this month. Nominations will be scrutinized on the 20th. Last date for withdrawal of nomination is 22nd march. More than six crore voters will cast their votes on the single phase assembly elections on the 6th of April.
In Tamil Nadu alongwith elections, COVID- 19 cases are also on the rise. The election department has appealed to the voters to follow COVID-19 regulations at all times. State Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan had a discussion with all district authorities through video conferencing. One thousand 645 people tested positive for Covid yesterday. Health officials are monitoring at Chennai Airport, Central station and at public markets. As per the Covid guidelines the election department is to set up one booth per thousand for this election.
District authorities are involved in conducting random checks on EVM and VVPAT machines. Flying squads , election expenditure monitoring committees and media monitoring committees are also at caution to check violators. Flying squads have seized cash, jewellery and gifts without documents every day. The vehicles accompanying the leaders during their campaign trails are also being checked for unaccounted cash or gifts.
In Kerala, election campaigning for upcoming assembly is in full swing as the major parties have already declared their candidates list. AIR correspondent reports, 101 candidates have filed their nominations in various constituencies across the State till now. National leaders from major fronts are set to visit the State in coming days.
Party sources reported that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the state from 30th of this month to April 2nd.Chief Minister of Tripura, Biplab Kumar Dev is in Kerala today as part of the BJP campaign. While addresing media in Thiruvananthapuram, he said that there will be change in Kerala similar to what happened in Tripura.
Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Smrithi Irani will also join the BJP campaign in the coming days. In UDF, election campaign has intensified, as Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy’s submitted their nominations today. Party’s Election conventions are underway in various constituencies. It’s reported that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will arrive in the state after a few days.
Election campaigning of LDF is also in full swing, as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is all set to begin his statewide campaign from tomorrow. Health Minister KK Shylaja had submitted her nomination in Mattannur today. CPIM national leader Sitaram Yechury will reach the state soon to boost the LDF campaign.
In the Union Territory of Puducherry candidates have started filing their nomination papers for the April 6 assembly elections, though the seat sharing and identification of constituencies were not finalized among major fronts. AIR Correspondent reports 27 candidates filed their nomination papers yesterday. N R Congress president N Rangasmay filed his papers for Thattanchavady constituency and said that he will file his nomination paper for Yanam on Wednesday.
In NDA alliance 14 seats were shared among the BJP and AIADMK. It is said that the BJP wanted to contest 10 seats and allot four seats to AIADMK. But AIADMK wants more seats and the issue is still to be sorted out. Meanwhile Mr. Vaiyapuri Manikandan of the AIADMK filed his nomination for Muthialpet constituency.
Alliance partners BJP and AIADMK, have filed nominations for the same seat. Vivian Richards of BJP, son of former MLA A John Kumar, and AIADMK former MLA Om Sakthi Sekar also filed the nomination for the Nellithope constituency. DMK former Legislator Siva filed nomination from Villaiyanoor and DMK North Convener S P Sivakumar also filed his nomination from Raj Bhavan.
All the 12 DMK nominees out of 13, have filed their nominations. Bahour candidate is to be finalized. Former Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister K Lakshminarayanan filed his nomination for Raj Bhavan constituency on the NR Congress ticket.
Though the candidates have started nominations, only local political leaders started campaigning and star campaigners are yet to come to Puducherry.
