Sena MP Raut gets EC notice for poll code violation

The district election officer of Mumbai has issued a notice to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut for alleged violation of the model code of conduct over his comments against CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar.

Raut, who is the editor of Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, said in the publication on Sunday that Kumar should be defeated in the elections even if it means the BJP has to “tamper with EVMs“.

Kumar, the former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s student union, is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha poll from Begusarai in Bihar.

In his column ‘Rok Thok’ in the Marathi daily, Raut also said that Kumar, “a bottle of poison”, must not reach Parliament.

Following his remarks, the Rajya Sabha MP was issued a notice on Monday, asking him to respond to it by Wednesday.

Further action in the matter will be decided by the Election Commission.

- PTI

Congress fields Olympian Krishna Poonia from Jaipur Rural LS seat

The Congress on Monday fielded Olympian discus thrower Krishna Poonia from the Jaipur Rural constituency as it released another list of nine candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.

With this, the Congress has so far announced the names of 325 candidates for the upcoming general election.

Ms. Poonia, a three-time Olympic participant, is the MLA from the Sadulpur constituency in Rajasthan.

She will contest against Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and Olympic medallist Rajyavardhan Rathore, who is the Jaipur Rural MP.

It's Mohan Joshi vs BJP’s Girish Bapat in Pune

Putting an end to suspense, the Congress has announced Mohan Joshi as its candidate from Pune Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra.

The announcement was made late Monday night by the Congress in an official release, a day after its city unit started poll campaigning in the constituency though it had then not declared its candidate.

Joshi’s main rival in Pune constituency is five-time BJP MLA and state cabinet minister Girish Bapat.

Joshi, popularly known as ‘dada’ in political circles, is considered a loyalist of the Congress since 1972.

He earlier contested the Lok Sabha election in 1999 from Pune but lost to BJP’s Pradip Rawat. Despite the then triangular fight between the BJP, NCP and Congress, he had secured 2.12 lakh votes.

Joshi, a former MLC and ex-president of the state Youth Congress, also served as AICC observer for Rajasthan Assembly polls in 2013, Bihar elections in 2010 and polls in Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in 2008, 2007 and 2005, respectively.

- PTI

BSP MLA Maulana Jameel joins Congress

Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Maulana Jameel joined the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Talking to reporters here, Mr. Jameel said he left the Mayawati-led outfit as he felt only Congress could defeat the BJP in the coming elections.

The MLA joined the Congress in the presence of AICC general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia in Delhi on Monday.

Jameel was elected on a BSP ticket from Meerapur assembly constituency in 2012.

- PTI