Filing of nominations for second phase of Lok Sabha polls begins
New Delhi (PTI): The process of filing nominations for 88 parliamentary seats across 12 states in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections began on Thursday.
The notification for the second phase of the parliamentary polls -- to be held on April 26 -- was issued by the Election Commission on behalf of the president early on Thursday.
The last date for filing nomination papers for this phase is April 4.
On April 5, the nomination papers will be scrutinised in all states and Union Territories, except Jammu and Kashmir.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the scrutiny will be held on April 6.
Polling in one part of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency will also be held during this phase. The notification for elections in the Outer Manipur constituency was included in the gazette notification issued for the first phase on March 20.
Fifteen assembly segments in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19. Thirteen assembly segments of the constituency will go to the polls on April 26.
The states and Union Territories going to the polls in the second phase are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, apart from one part of the Outer Manipur seat.
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Congress wants to give minorities right to eat beef: UP CM Adityanath
Moradabad/Lucknow (UP) (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Friday said the Congress wants to give minorities the right to eat beef, adding that this amounted to allowing cow slaughter.
"These shameless people promise to provide the right to eat 'gaumaans' (cow’s meat), whereas our scriptures call the cow mother. They wish to give cows into the hands of butchers. Will India ever accept this?” An Uttar Pradesh BJP statement quoted Adityanath as saying.
The chief minister said they wanted to give minorities the liberty to eat the food of their choice, “meaning they are talking about allowing cow slaughter”.
Adityanath was addressing an election rally in Bilari in Moradabad district to garner support for BJP candidate Parmeshwar Lal Saini for the Sambhal Lok Sabha seat.
Echoing the recent speeches by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CM alleged the Congress intends to seize the 'stridhan' (women’s wealth), and distribute it among Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrators.
He claimed the Congress in its manifesto has talked about the X-ray of people's property.
"This means that if somebody has four rooms in his home, two of those will be taken away by them. Not only this, the Congress says that it will take possession of women's jewellery, the country will never accept this," he said.
They had made such efforts from 2004 to 2014 under the UPA government, Adityanath said.
"They had tried to give a quota to Muslims out of the reservation provided to the SCs, STs and OBCs in Karnataka," he said.
He referred to the Sachar Committee recommendations, and said the Congress wanted to implement it by giving six per cent reservation to them out of the quota for the SCs, STs and OBCs.
Accusing the Congress of double standards, he claimed that former prime minister Manmohan Singh had said that Muslims have the first right to the country's resources.
The UP chief minister also alleged the Congress is hatching a conspiracy for further division of the country.
Adityanath said it is being said that "bhai-bahan" (referring to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) are planning to go to Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram.
"When they had a government, they used to question the existence of Lord Ram. But the deity is for everybody. This is an example of their double standards," he said.
Adityanath said those who hesitate in chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram' should not get their votes.
Sambhal will vote in the third phase on May 7.
