Sushma’s Odisha rallies cancelled
Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s public meetings were cancelled on Friday at the eleventh hour, while BJD chief Naveen Patnaik continued campaigning for party candidates for the second phase of lok Sabha elections without taking a break. With Swaraj failing to turn up at rallies scheduled in Keonjhar and Kendrapara, BJP’s Odisha in-charge Arun Singh substituted her at the events. Singh, accompanied by senior leader Bishnu Das, campaigned in Kendrapara. “She could not come due to certain problems,” senior BJP leader said.
Kejri pays obeisance at Golden Temple
Amritsar: Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal, who is on Punjab tour for campaigning for the party candidates on Friday paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple here. He was accompanied by his followers including AAP candidate from ludhiana lok Sabha seat Harvinder Singh Phoolka and Punjabi singer Jassi. Kejriwal, accompanied by AAP candidate from Amritsar, Dr Daljit Singh, also took out a road show before going to Golden Temple. He also paid obeisance at Akal Takhat.
‘Clerics’ plea for parties not helpful’
Aligarh : Aligarh Muslim University Teachers Association has criticised the practise of religious leaders issuing appeals in support of political parties and said such calls will have no impact on the Muslim community voters. “Using religious personalities or religious symbols for political objectives is dangerous. Neither do we approve of the Delhi Jama Masjid Imam’s proclaimations on elections nor will they have any impact on the common Muslim voter,” Aftab Alam, secretary of AMUTA, said in a statement on Friday. “These appeals are not Fatwas as wrongly described by the media. They are mere statements and Muslims are no longer swayed by such appeals,” he added.
HC nixes petition on two DGPs issue
Chennai : Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a PIl by DMK seeking a direction to the Election Commission not to permit DGP K Ramanujam to hold the post of administrative head of police till the polls are completed as Government had recently appointed Anoop Jaiswal as DGP to oversee elections. The first bench Comprising Acting Chief Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice MM Sundresh, dismissing the petition filed by TKS Elangovan, DMK’s organising secretary and candidate for South Madras, said “it is not the case of the petitioner that there is violation of any statutory provision of law. There is no merit in the petition”
‘No info on MP joining AIADMK’
Madurai: A day after DMK MP Ritheeish joined AIADMK, former Union Minister MK Alagiri denied his statement that he had informed him about his plan to join the ruling party. “I deny his statement. I met Ritheeish at a function on April 6. After that he did not have any contact with me. He did not tell me anything about joining AIADMK,” the expelled DMK leader told reporters. Alagiri reiterated that he would continue to be a DMK worker and that none could create a rift between him and his father. Ritheeish was one of the three DMK MPs who had met Alagiri following his suspension from the party initially after leadership squabbles with his younger brother MK Stalin.
Attack on Barmer BJP candidate
Barmer: The motorcade of Barmer BJP candidate Sonaram was attacked when he was campaigning in Shiv area in the district, with party members alleging that supporters of expelled leader Jaswant Singh were behind it. Sonaram said the attack took place when he was visiting Shiv area on Thursday with his supporters for soliciting votes. The windscreens of two vehicles in his convoy were broken in the attack.