Sonia to file nomination on April 2

lucknow: Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi will file her nomination from her stronghold Rae Bareli lok Sabha seat on April 2 next and address a rally on the same day.

Gandhi’s son Rahul, daughter Priyanka and son-in-law Robert Vadra would also be present on the occasion, according to Kl Sharma, the representative of the Congress president. As per the programme, Gandhi will arrive in her constituency on April 2 and perform ‘hawan’ and ‘puja’ at party office.

later, she would proceed towards collectorate to file her nomination papers and later address a public meeting at Government Inter College.         PNS

18 candidates for 2 seats in Manipur

Imphal: Eighteen candidates are in the fray for the lok Sabha elections in two constituencies of Manipur, state election office said on Sunday.

While ten will contest from Outer Manipur constituency (hill districts), eight to try their luck from Inner Manipur (valley districts). In Outer and Inner Manipur, polling will be held on April 9 and April 17 respectively. Prominent candidates in the first phase are sitting Congress MP Thangso Baite, Gangmumei Kamei (BJP), C Doungel (NCP), Kim Gangte (Trinamool congress), Soso lorho (Naga People’s Front), l Gangte (JD-U) and MK Zou (AAP), sources said.                 PTI

Bihar: This family of 47 voters being wooed by all parties

Patna: It’s a joint family of 85 people, with 47 being voters and in this poll season, they find themselves much in demand in Bihar’s Kishanganj constituency. leaders and workers of all political parties are eyeing the joint family, probably the largest in Bihar.

The family of 35 children, 30 women and 55 men lives under one roof in Jiyagachi village in Purnea district, about 350 km from Patna.

Their village may be in Purnea, but they are part of the Kishanganj parliamentary constituency after delimitation.

Muslims make up more than 66.7 per cent of the voters in Kishanganj. The Congress has fielded its sitting MP Maulana Ishrarul Haque, ruling Janata Dal (United) has fielded Akhtarul Iman after he quit the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the BJP has fielded Dilip Jayswal.

“We are in high demand as 47 members of our joint family would cast their vote in the lok Sabha polls,” said Mohd Nazir who is head of the family.

Nazir, in his early 60s, is a farmer. He said that his joint family’s importance has increased ahead of the polls. “leaders are trying to take us into confidence for support as we are equal to more than a dozen nuclear families,” he said.

His joint family owns 20 bighas of agriculture land. Nazir’s two younger brothers are school teachers and they provide their monthly salary to him to manage the family.       PTI

Cong, BJP luring actors for polls: Akhilesh

Ahmedabad/Patna: The Congress and the BJP are facing a crisis of contestants as big leaders are shying away from the lok Sabha polls to escape humiliation. That is why both parties are luring film actors, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said here on Sunday.

The Congress and the BJP are facing a crisis of contestants as big leaders are shying away from the lok Sabha polls to escape humiliation. That is why both parties are luring film actors, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said here Sunday.

Without naming the Congress candidate for Ghaziabad lok Sabha seat - film star-turned-politician Raj Babbar, Akhilesh said it was the same leader who was instrumental along with former Prime Minister VP Singh in obstructing the construction of a power project in Dadri. “If this man had not created snags in the power project, it could have come into existence to solve the power shortage and the city would have flourished,” the Samajwadi Party leader said.

“Now the same man is crying for development. He always ditched voters. Ghaziabad residents would teach him a lesson,” he said.

Hitting out at Rajnath Singh, Akhilesh said the Bharatiya Janata Party president left the city in fear of defeat.

Targetting BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he said: “The Gujarat model is a technique to mislead the masses like ‘India Shining’. If the Gujarat model would have been true in existence, why did Modi opt to contest from VaranasiIJ He does not feel safe to contest from one place.”

He said the BJP was an expert in spreading communalism, and it was the party that had ignited the violence in Muzaffarnagar. He said his Government effectively controlled the situation and restored peace. The Supreme Court has appreciated the role of the State Government in controlling the violence.                IANS